In Damon's Head
by Ariel C. Rilmonn
Summary: Damon Salvatore. You think you know what goes on in my twisted mind? You have no idea. Some people think its better to stay out of my head, but that's because they don't really know whats in it... The Vampire Diaries in Damon's POV. R&R!
1. Friday Night Bites

**In watching and reading "The Vampire Diaries", i found Damon the most complex and interesting of the character. This particular episode "Friday Night Bites" i found myself thinking about Damon a little more thoroughly. I did my best to put how i see Damon's thoughts down and share it will you. I appreciate constructive criticism but please keep in mind that this is how _I _see Damon, and other people might see him differently. Enjoy!**

High school. The cliché football games and cheerleaders, the pep rallies and the burning of the other team's jersey, ah so refreshingly human. A fight had already broken out, how cute. I could see Stefan making his way over to save the day…how noble of him. Of course, he's always the noble one isn't he, always do what's right? I say, let the damn kids fight; it'll be the only action they'll be getting for a while.

The pale stoner one broke a bottle and swung it across his body in attempt to hit the football duesh but – oh shit, Stefan gets in the way of course. And Elena can tell he's "hurt" too. How's he gonna cover this one up? I took another swig of some cheap beer as I looked down from the roof of the school.

Elena grabs Stefan's hand insisting him to let her see it. The gash is probably gone by now and still closing up, "but – I saw it, it was -"

"He missed. It's not my blood," Stefan "wiped" the blood onto his jeans; I roll my eyes, how pathetic. Why does he go around pretending? Just getting buried in more and more lies. Not that I care. "See?" he shows Elena his now clean hand. Now, I expected her to fall for it like everyone else, but she turns out to be very persistent.

"No, I saw it! The glass cut your hand,"

"Its ok," Stefan pushes. "I'm ok." Wow, he'll say anything to this chic wont he. It's like one of those dumb reality shows. Elena still stares at his hand confused. "Its almost kick off time, so um, I'll see you after the game." She nods and he rushes by her, trying to escape while he still can. Pathetic. If he were like me, he could just _make _her know it's not blood. Such a waste of time, trying to cover everything he does. She watches him walk into the locker room as she stands and thinks. I'll give her credit, she's not like all the other mindless dumb asses we were sure to meet. Ah, speaking of mindless dumb asses, here comes Caroline now. Of course wearing that scarf I most generously gave to her. And there is my cue to leave.

I still waited by the school, aching for Elena to be alone at some point. I had an overdue conversation with her. After a few minutes, she walked to her car and opened the trunk. My entrance had to make her coil or it wouldn't be much of an entrance. She just about turns around and I'm there. She jumps and flinches when she sees me. Perfect. I flash a toothless grin. "You scared me, what – what are you doing here?" she asked, a hint of fright still on her lips.

"I'm," I looked around. "I'm hiding from Caroline." I whispered.

"And why is that?" Elena whispered back, she looked a little irritated. Which just gave me more of a reason to continue.

"I needed a break, she talks more then I can listen."

"That could be a sign."

"Well, she is awfully young."

"Not much younger then you are." I laugh humorlessly and continue.

"I don't see it going anywhere in the bigger picture. I think she'd drive me crazy." I said…completely honest for once.

"Caroline does have some really annoying traits, but we've been friends since the first grade and that means something to me." Elena was really sticking this in my face. Stefan's warning must have sunk in and he's right…she sound be afraid. But I played the innocent guy.

"Dually noted. I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable. That's not my intention." She looked at me strangely.

"Yes, it is. Or else you wouldn't put an alternate meaning behind everything you say." I laugh again, this time with a little humor. I was getting to her.

"Your right," I say. "I do have other intentions but so do you." I point out.

"Really?"

"I see it," I joked. "You want me."

"Excuse me?"

"I get to you, you find yourself drawn to me, you think about me when you don't want to think about me, I bet you even dreamed about me." I get closer. She just stares at me. I know I have her now, my eyes adjusted to control her. "And right now, you wanna kiss me." I half smile and lean in for Katherine to kiss me. But that's not what happens. Before I could even see it coming, she slaps me.

"What the hell!?" she says, I'm adjusting my face to feel if that really just happened. "I don't know what game you're trying to play with Stefan here, but I don't want to be part of it. And I don't know what happened in the past but let's get one thing straight, I am not Katherine." I look around really confused. How did she not kiss me? I just ate; she _had _to have kissed me. I did everything the same, so how the hell did it not work? As I turn to watch her go, I realize it. The one thing that keeps vampires from getting into human's heads, Vervaine.

_**Later, before the game...**_

I walked back to the edge of the building watching all the empty headed football jocks go by. They didn't see me of course; I was way too good at hiding. But I was waiting for Stefan, but he was busy talking to some other dude. I was sure as hell not getting replaced. I wasn't listening to their conversation, but then I got bored and decided to eavesdrop. "I was a dick at practice this week," huh, I wonder why. Maybe Stefan would be ok if he was my dinner …

"You had your reasons." Stefan said. Don't let this guy go off so easy.

"No excuse." Blondie stuck out his hand and Stefan looked at it and then took it. I though they'd go frolicking into the parking lot together, but then the one that wasn't Stefan said "Good luck tonight, we're lucky to have you" and walked off.

I could not give up this opportunity. I started applauding as Stefan turned around.

"Isn't that nice? Stefan joins the team, makes a friend." He just looks at me. "It's all so, rah! Rah! Go team! Yeah!" I made myself look like Caroline for a second as I struck a pose.

"Not tonight, I'm done with you." He turned around and I was there.

"Nice trick with Elena. Lemme guess, Vervaine in the necklace? I'll admit, I was a bit surprised. It's been a long time since someone could resist my…compulsion." I half smiled and raised an eyebrow. I loved messing with Stefan. He nodded, I smiled. "Where'd ya get it?"

"Does it matter?" he walked passed me, but I wasn't letting him get away so easily.

"I guess I'll have to seduce her the old fashioned way," Stefan kept walking. "Or I could just…eat her." I made a face and heard his footsteps stop.

"You're not going to hurt her Damon" we faced each other.

"No?"

"Because deep down inside, there's a part of you that feels for her." I didn't let my face get serious. "I was worried that you had no humanity, left inside of you. That, you may have actually become the monster you pretend to be,"

"Whose pretending?" I smiled a wicked smile.

"Then kill me." He says.

"Well, I'm – I'm tempted."

"No, your not. You've had lifetimes to do it and yet…here I am. I'm still alive and there you are, still haunting me." I was not gonna let him get to me, but I felt his self confidence grow as the speech continued. "After One-hundred and forty five years. Katherine is dead! And you hate me, because you loved her," I looked at the football field again. "And you torture me, because you still do. And that, my brother, is your humanity." I exhaled angrily as he leaned away from my face. I couldn't show that he got to me. But he had. I shake my head as his coach calls our last name. Stefan turns away with a smug look on his face.

"What the hell we got a game to play!" the coach motions for him to be inside. But I get a better idea. I sure as hell was not going down that easy. I cock a little smile as I look at the coach.

"If that's my humanity," I raise my eyebrows and Stefan looks back at me. "Then what's this?" I race away from Stefan and dig my teeth into the coach's neck. I start sucking the racing blood until he is almost sucked dry. Stefan was not winning this. I let go of his neck and let him fall to the ground, either dead or unconscious I didn't care. My eyes were red and my mouth was dripping with blood. I looked back at Stefan as he objected.

"Anyone. Anytime. Anyplace." I was still full of anger that he had gotten to me. My eyes had veins bursting out as I growled at Stefan and smiled at the look of utter disbelief in his eyes. I had won.

_**Stefan's Journal: I thought there was some human left in Damon...I was wrong. He is a monster, who must be stopped.  
**_

She was so beautiful. They did look exactly alike. Same face, same skin, same spunk. I had been invited in, so I watched her sleep. My head cocked to one side as I stroked her brown hair. Then my index finger found its way to her soft cheek. I couldn't deny it, I did love her. And I still do. I wouldn't take her away from Stefan…at least, not now. She flinches and I know she's getting up, so I fly out her window, leaving a crow where I took my last glimpse.

**Did you like it? Tell me what you thought...if people liked it enough, then maybe I'll do another episode in Damon's POV. Any requests?**


	2. Haunted

**I wasn't originally going to do another one...but all the positive comments changed my mind. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! So here's a very frequently requested "Haunted". I was thinking about doing "162 Candles" but to be honest...i had no idea what Damon was thinking in that one. I really hope I lived up to expectations and didn't ruin anything. And I know its extra long cause I just count narrow down my favorite scenes! So read, review, enjoy!**

**P.S. I own nothing but my thoughts.  
**

Stefan and I had to stay up all night freakin' babysitting Vicky making sure she didn't go anywhere, so I was pretty irritable and _really _wanted to make someone even more pissed then me. I flipped through the all the articles, pictures, _and _the captions of the newspaper attempting to find _something_ about my last meal.

"There's nothin' about that Logan guy I killed in here, not a word." I folded up the newspaper very irritated and grabbed the compass. "This one's covering it up."

"What is that?" I looked up and remembered Vicky was here and being nosy about the compass.

"It's a very special very old compass, what was Logan Feld doing with it? Aren't you curious?" I said turning to Stefan.

"Well if your so worried someone's onto you, why don't you leave town Damon?" Stefan's attempts to get me to leave were getting weaker and weaker. I barely even thought he was trying anymore.

"We should all be worried." I said seriously. But before we could talk about it anymore, the new chic started complaining again.

"Hey I'm hungry do you have anything to eat?" Stefan got up and grabbed the gross dirty mug of some sad tiny animal and gave it to Vicky.

"Here." He shoved it in her face.

"What is it?" she asked as her nose scrunched up a little. I still stared at the paper skimming the text for an "animal" attack.

"It's what you're craving." I laughed a little.

"Don't lie to the girl. It's so _not _what you're craving but it'll do it a pinch." I looked up and smiled. "Right Stef?"

"What is it?"

"Yeah what is it? Is it skunk, saint Bernard, Bambi?" I looked at the newspaper again, but not paying attention to it this time. I wanted to see this girl's reaction to what Stefan calls "food". He insisted but she just smelt it. "She's new. She needs people blood she can't sustain on that stuff."

"Yeah, why can't I have people blood?" She turned to me; I could already tell she was turning to the dark side.

"Yeah?" I said. Waiting for Stefan's probably well rehearsed response.

"Because it's wrong to prey on innocent people Vicky."

"You don't have to kill to feed, just find someone really tasty and erase their memory afterwards, so easy." I smiled and she laughed, obviously delighted by the idea. Stefan was less then pleased, which made me very happy.

"No, no, no. There's no guarantee that you can control yourself okay? It takes years to learn that. You could easily kill somebody, and then you have to carry that with you for the rest of your life, which if I haven't made clear, it eternity!" I rolled my eyes and Vicky took another sip of that shit.

"Don't listen to him; he walks on a moral plane WAY out of your eye line. I say, snatch, eat, erase!" I made a cutting motion near my neck. But Stefan just _had _to keep insisting.

"Hey look at me," he said to Vicky. "We choose our own path. Our values and our actions, define who we are."

"Okay Count Debouch" I let my head fall to the side as I rolled my eyes again. I felt like they were gonna get stuck that way considering how often Stefan makes me do it. I threw the newspaper down and brought my feet off the desk. "I am outta here."

I walked down the steps, completely fed up with all of Stefan's good morals and values and blah, blah, blah. Gag me.

As I started thinking about who I was gonna have for dinner, the smelt a certain girl of Stefan's walk to the door. I smiled to myself and thought about how I was going to irritate her today. I opened the door and saw her beautifully frightened face there to greet me.

"Is Stefan here?"

"Yep."

"Where is he?" she asked quickly, obviously wanting to get away from me. But I was just getting started.

"And good morning to you Miss I'm-On-a-Mission." She was less then pleased, which made me dying to continue.

"How can you be so arrogant and glib after everything you've done?" She had some nerve. If she was scared (which I hoped she was) then why would she peruse these insults? Did she wanna be killed? Not that I would ever actually do it.

"And how can you be so brave – and stupid – to call a vampire arrogant and glib?"

"If you wanted me dead I'd be dead."

"Yes, you would."

"But I'm not."

"Yet!" I threw back at her. I tried to make it seem like I wasn't having fun.

She was quiet, and then asked "where is Stefan?"

"He's upstairs, singing the rain in Spain!" I smiled again. "Knock yourself out." I turned towards her as I walked out of the house, taking a nice long whiff of her as she went by. She closed the door and I smiled once again. The vervaine might keep me out of her head…good thing that women like more then my compulsion.

I walked out of the bathroom looking for a towel and then I saw Vicky lying face up on the bed. "What are you doing?" I asked as I wiped my dirty hands on Stefan's clean robe.

"Just contemplating the next hundred years." She said. Yeah, I remembered doing that. I walked over and sat on the bed next to her. She was kinnda hot, in that…high school boredom way. I mean, she was no Elena. She would have been a potential Caroline to me. "Why did you do it?"

"I was…" debating on answering the question honestly. "Bored." She looked pissed and sat up.

"You did this to me out of boredom?" I shrugged.

"It's one of the pitfalls of eternity." She sat all the way up and kept glaring at me.

"Now I'm bored." She whined. I suddenly got a great idea. I faced her and laughed a little. "And all I can think about is blood, I just want some blood, I can't think about anything else what is that about?" Been there Vicky, been there. But I guess I haven't had any fun with another vampire in a long time, why not start now?

"That'll ease up. You've just been cooped up all day," I nodded towards the door. "Let's go!" She looked at the door and a little smile emerged on her face. But it wasn't a happy smile; it was a mischievous smile…the smiles that _I _like.

"Where?" She asked.

"Well your life was pathetic your after life doesn't have to be." I raised an eyebrow and offered her a hand, which she willingly took. We hopped up off the bed and wondered into the hallway, and who was there to rain on our parade? Stefan.

"What are you doing?" he asked. I smiled.

"She's been cooped up in your room all day she's not Anne Frank."

"No, no, no. Hey, hey," Stefan slammed his hand on the door. I rolled my eyes. He's so neurotic. "Now's not the time for this."

"If your gonna teach her, teach her. Show her what it's all about." She was so egger to leave this god forsaken house that she was actually jumping up and down.

"She could hurt someone."

"I'm not taking her to Disney Land we're going in the front yard." Stefan hesitated but let me open the door. Vicky got out first, I figured she was the most air deprived, and Stefan followed behind us. He acted like I needed a freaking babysitter. He acted like he could stop me if I wanted to do something.

"This is a bad idea Damon." I really didn't see the big deal; Stefan was just being so insane about this. What was she gonna do? Run off?

"She's a vampire Stefan she should know the perks."

"Like what?" She asked. We stopped in the middle of the yard and I debated about what to show her first.

"Like…" then I ran behind her before she could even blink. She looked confused so I tapped her shoulder and she turned around.

"Woah, how did you do that?" Stefan looked at me with disdained. I ignored him and ran back to my original place. Vicky looked confused again so I whistled to get her attention. She turned back around and laughed.

"Common Vicky, live a little." I motioned for her to try. "No pun intended." Stefan kept a close eye on her as she took off running human speed, and then without warning, _our _speed. She disappeared into the tree's as me and Stefan both waited. And waited…and waited…I guess we shouldn't have been stupid and actually thought she was gonna come back. Oh wait, there was some rustling by the house, that might have been her…nope. It was a squirrel. Hey Stefan, go get it!

We kept looking around hoping that she was just joking around. She wasn't. "Uhh," damn. "My bad."

Cutting my date with the mayor's wife short was not how I wanted things to go. But I guess I made this whole Vicky mess so I had to clean it up.

I walked pass the bus and saw a cute Elena in a slutty nurse costume kneeling over a now officially dead Vicky. As much as I liked having her there, she had some nasty cuts that I was dying to clean for her.

"You should go," I urged. "I got this." She started breathing deeply and got up weakly.

"You did this." She said angrily. And I wasn't even trying to piss her off this time. "This is your fault!"

"You confuse me for someone with remorse." Seriously Elena, I didn't care in the least. Just a waste of a perfectly good vampire.

She seemed to care enough to actually try to _push _me but I didn't budge. And then she went into slap me, but I grabbed her hand before she could take a good swing. "None of this matters to me." I looked at her from under my bent head. "None of it." She yanked her arm from my grasp and quivered in anger.

"People die around you how could it not matter?" I just looked down at the shriveled body. "It matters and you know it." I didn't take my eyes off the ground. Then she finished what she started to do and slapped me. Smack across the face. And it hurt. And I was mad. I lifted my head and glared at her.

She pissed me off. And I mean _really _pissed me off. She flinched at my quick movement and looked very, very afraid. Which she should. But as I saw her shaking, I eased up a tad and smiled very weak smile. Just seeing someone that afraid of me was good enough for now.

I did need to remember this was Elena...I clenched my jaw down to keep me from doing anything rash. Not matter how good her leaking blood smelt.

"You need to leave." I said seriously. "Your wounds are bleeding and _you need to leave_." My jaw was clenched as I hissed the last words. Her weak blood was tempting me and I didn't think I could have resisted her for any more time. I gave her one last frightening look to show her how I meant it and she ran off.

Her blood would be so amazing. She would taste like Katherine but so much sweeter. As she ran, I would have chased her. Then I would sink my teeth into her flesh. But I shook those thoughts out of my head and focused on why I was there. There was a dead vampire that needed to be disposed of.

I waited by the edge of the house, trying to find out what they would tell Vicky's boyfriend. Elena knew…but her brother saw too much. I had no idea what Stefan and she would do.

I could hear him weep from outside. She went in to comfort him. I was surprised she wasn't bawling herself. I was surprised she hadn't run away the second Stefan told her what we were. But she was brave…something Katherine wasn't. And she was loyal…something Katherine also wasn't. Stefan sat there. I wanted things to be normal again. But they would never be. He sat there in silence, not knowing I was there. He looked so sad. I didn't get it. Was she really worth this? All this pain? It was Déjà vu. We secretly wanted the same girl that we couldn't have. Was she worth it? Yeah. Of course she was.

Elena stepped out of the house and Stefan got up. Even in an ugly purple towel she looked beautiful.

"Are you ok?" She asked him. Why would _she _ask _him _that? He nodded and walked over to her.

"I uh, I wanted to help her." Why? Why does he care so much? She was nothing. She was an experiment out of boredom. Why did Stefan have to be so annoyingly perfect? "But instead I uhm…" he didn't finish. "How's he doing?"

"He's a mess. I don't want him going through this again. He's just a kid!" I could tell she was trying to hold back tears.

"Elena what can I do? What can I do to help? I'll do anything." Of course he would. Stefan…so righteous.

"Can you make him forget?" She asked. This took me by surprise. I needed to keep listening. The corner of my eye saw Stefan shake his head.

"Elena," He wouldn't be able to do it. Bunnies don't keep him strong enough for that. And you could hear in his voice, he wished he could do it so badly.

"Stefan please, I don't know how he'll never get past this. I just want him to forget everything that happened." Her voice was pleading. It was painful to listen to…her begging. I could do it; I could do it so easily.

"If I did it there's no guarantee it would work. Because of who I am, because how I live. I don't have the ability to do it right." I hesitated. This would mean doing something…nice. Something Elena would always thank me for, something Stefan would owe me for. I took a deep breath and stepped out from the side of the house.

"I can do it." I said. Stefan looked over Elena's shoulder at me. "This is what you want." I walked across the porch. I had to do it. I couldn't refuse her. But I didn't let her power over me read on my face. "I'll do it." I said again. She looked at me with disgust, but I knew she would feel differently after I did this. Hesitantly, she looked back at Stefan.

"It's what I want." He nodded.

"What do you want him to know?" I asked, breaking up the soon to be tender moment between them.

"I want you to tell him, that Vicky left town…and she's not coming back. That he shouldn't look for her, or worry about her." I listened as she talked in a watery voice. "He's gonna miss her but she knows it's for the best." I nodded and walked into her house and towards her brother.

I made him forget. Everything. Vicky, his problems, he was going to be a normal kid. Something I wish I was. It was hard, knowing that she had Stefan and Stefan had her…and I was just there. She wasn't Katherine. It wasn't the same, no matter how much I wanted it to be. We couldn't both have her. Not this time.

I walked outside to see both of them sitting next to each other on the bench. She looked at me with her brown eyes. "It's done." I muttered. She looked back and forth between Stefan and me, and then ran into the house as we watched her go. She shut the door, but I still looked at where she stood. Leaving nothing behind where she took her last glimpse.

**So what did you think? What episode would you want to read next? Lemme know what you think!**


	3. History Repeating

**Happy Thanksgiving! During the holidays, I usually trade my laptop for stovetop. But this year i decided not to. I wrote this whole thing in one day. I hope you enjoy the requested episode "History Repeating". It did take a little while for me to narrow down what parts of the episode i was going to publish but i think i made the right choices. Last time, i did not get as many comments as i would have liked. Just a word or two works. Just to know that you guys are still living. **

**SPOILER ALERT! Who did you guys think stopped Elena's car last episode? I cant wait for this week. Anyways, read, comment, enjoy!  
**

I looked out the window with a warm cup of coffee in my hand. The sun was shining, Stefan was sleeping peacefully, and well, if I weren't here, you might call this a nice day. "Rise and shine!" I called loudly to wake Stefan from a calming sleep. He sat up really fast, obviously alarmed. "You'll be late for school."

"What're you – what're you doing?" Stefan asked. I held up an extra cup of coffee.

"Peace offering." I said. Stefan stood up and let out a deep exasperated breath. "Common, you need it for blood circulation. Does dead flesh good…" I smiled. He didn't buy it. I rolled my eyes. "Alright I'm sorry." God I hated saying that.

"Step a side, please." Stefan walked passed me and into the bathroom. I was obviously not forgiven. Not that I cared.

"I got the town off our back it was for the greater good but I'm sorry!" I looked back at the bathroom to see if he was listening or if he was really even there. "And to prove it, I'm not going to feed on a human for at least," I thought for a second. Damn. A month? Too long. A day? Too short. "A week." It hurt to say the words. "I'll adopt the Stefan diet only nothing with…feathers." I cringed and took a sip of the coffee. It tasted like nothing but at least it was warm nothing.

"Cause I realize that killing your closest an oldest friend is beyond evil and yet, somehow, it's worthy of humor!" Stefan walked to his dresser. Did he really think I would have a limit to doing anything to get what I wanted?

"Are you mimicking me?" I asked.

"Yes 'Stefan'," "Damon" put on a shirt. "Now that the secret society of vampire haters is off our back's I can go back to my original routine of 'How can I ruin Stefan's life this week?'" I decided to play too.

"And I can go back to sulking and Elena-longing and forehead brooding." I was dead on. "This is fun, I like this."

"And I will finally reveal the ulterior motive behind my evil and diabolical return to Mystic Falls." Stefan looked at me, obviously hoping that I would reveal my final plan. Nice try.

"Yeah…I'm done." I stopped leaning on the table and started walking away. But I turned around one last time. "This is just like you 'Damon'," I made my voice as Stefen-esqe that I could. "Always have to have the last word."

I sat at the bar…alone like always. I had a bottle of some sort of shitty alcohol in my cup. That stupid Bonnie would not give me the damn necklace. I needed it so bad. Too bad I couldn't rip her throat out or I would have. I had done what Emily wanted, I kept her family safe. I held _my _end of the deal, now it was time she held hers.

I was about to take other sip when I heard "So Stefan!" I turned around to see who was calling my brothers name but it turned out to be…my brother. So I guess we were playing _this _game again. "You know, I've been thinkin', maybe we should start over. Give this brother thing another chance. We used to do it oh-so-well once upon a time." He tried to pull off the sexy Damon face, but it was just too much for him. But I played along. I scrunched my eyebrows together and made my voice sound pained and mysterious.

"I don't, Damon! I can't trust you to be a nice guy. You – you kill everybody and you're so mean. You're so mean!" 'Damon' was smiling and nodding. "You're really hard to imitate and then I have to go to that lesser place." I looked forward and rolled my eyes. The real Stefan asked for a coffee from the bartender.

"So what's with the bottle?" He asked. I didn't know if he was still playing some stupid game but there must have been something he wanted or he would be ignoring me or yelling at me to get out of town. I let a big breath out and looked at the bottle.

"I'm on edge. Crash diet you know I'm trying to keep a low profile."

"You could always just leave, find a new town and turn into your own personal gas and sip." There it is.

"I'll manage." I guess Stefan has been saying the same thing to me since I got here why not stop now? The guy gave Stefan his coffee. I looked at him a little suspiciously.

"You know you don't have to keep an eye on me." I said pouring myself another glass of whatever I was drinking.

"I'm not here to keep an eye on you." For once, I couldn't tell if he was lying.

"Then why are you here?" Stefan shrugged. The brooding eyebrow's returning.

"Why not?" he grabbed my alcohol and walked away. I didn't know what type of game he was playing, but I guess I'll play along.

Stefan hit another bulls-eye in the first shot…again. "Lucky shot." I said, a little jealous ill admit. He's had about fifteen "lucky shots".

"Or a carefully honed skill over many decades." I walked up to the board and put another tally mark on Stefan's side.

"Your beating me." I said frustrated. The little brother rarely beats the big brother.

"Well, yeah. Cause I'm better then you." Stefan said smugly.

"I'm on to you. Reverse psychology? I mean it's a little transparent but I admire the effort." We both faced each other now. His face was smiling but I could tell something was going on in that empty shell he called a head.

"Bored of the brooding forehead?" He laughed. But I still didn't understand what he was trying to do.

"Seriously what game do you think your playing?" I asked. Stefan looked fake surprised.

"That's a funny question considering the fact that I have been asking you that, for months!" ah. That's true. Now we're kinnda getting somewhere. I considered that for a second, no. He's just trying to get me to tell him my master plan. I looked at the dartboard and thought about how I was going to beat him at this.

"Its frustrating isn't it?"

"Touché." And I threw another dart. He wasn't getting it out of me that easily.

We walked out onto the football field. I did not buy Stefan's "Lets be best friends again!" act. Not one bit. But it was a little fun pretending it was like old times. But I still wasn't telling him. Yet.

"What're we going here?"

"Bonding. Catch." He threw the football at me and I caught it with one hand. The other holding the liquor. I half smiled and threw the ball back at him. He caught it easily and waited as I walked towards him.

"Common," he smiled. "Give it a try." I put down the bottle and felt for the laces on the ball.

"Don't forget who taught you how to play this game." I whined up and threw the ball halfway across the field. Before Stefan could look, I ran and caught it before it could touch the ground. But he was right behind me and tackled me to the ground. Usually, I would be perfectly fine, but considering I've been eating squirrels the past 24 hours, I was a little off my game. We both lay on the ground and moaned. Stefan knocked the wind right outta me.

"Ow that hurts." I said holding my diaphragm.

"Downside to my diet, getting hit actually hurts a little bit." Ha! He said downside? Not downside_s_. I could name a million. This was ridiculous. We stayed on the ground just starring into the empty atmosphere. I breathed out.

"I'm impressed Stefan." He looked at me. "Fun with booze and darts and sentimental with football and now," I laughed a little. "A starry night." I sat up really fast and stared down at him. "What do you want Stefan?" I asked completely serious. He sat up too, facing me. I raise my eyebrows as I felt the lecture coming.

"It wasn't real, Damon." I waited for him to continue. "Our love for Katherine." I rolled my eyes and laughed a little bit.

"Oh my god." Not this again. I was so tired of this conversation.

"She compelled us we didn't have a choice." I looked at the sky again. "It took me years to sort that out, to truly understand what she did to us-"

"Oh no Stefan," I cut him off and patted his leg. "We are not takin' that on tonight." I stood up and started walking away.

"What do you want with Katherine's crystal?" I stopped.

"How do you know about that?" That was it. That was the real reason he was sticking around.

"Common," he stood up. "You knew Elena would tell me." So I guess it was time. I was done hiding.

"How do you know it was Katherine's? Emily gave it to her on her last night; I was with her you…weren't." I smiled. But the look on Stefan's face surprised me. He looked so…not pissed.

"I was the last one to see her, Damon." The smiled melted off my face. No. I was with her that night. She was with _me. _Not Stefan. That was the last time we were together. The last time she was with anyone.

"Now what do you want with Katherine's crystal?" he asked again. Fine. If he was the last person with her, then he wasn't going to feel good about it. I cocked my head to one side.

"She didn't tell you?"

"We had other things on our mind." I frowned. He wasn't getting mad, but I was. I got a sudden image of my brother and the love of my life together. I ran towards Stefan ready to kill him right there.

"I can rip your heart out and not think twice about it." I threatened.

"Yeah," Stefan nodded. "I've heard that before." I looked down, ready to actually do it, but then thought again. I wouldn't do it. Not now. Not before my big unveiling of my plan.

"I have a bigger surprise Stefan." I backed off a little and started walking away, once again, leaving him confused. But then I turned back around. "I'm gonna bring her back." I smiled a smug smile and left Stefan with a wondering mind.

I ran towards the remains of the church. If she was going to be there, then the necklace would be too. I saw the form of Bonnie walking in the woods but I knew it wasn't Bonnie.

"Hello Emily." I said. She didn't look that surprised to see me. She knew I would come. "You look different."

"I won't let you do it." She said.

"We had a deal." I said aggressively. I tried to intimidate her, but it was hard. She had powers that vampires couldn't even dream of.

"Things are different now. I need to protect my family."

"I protected your family!" I reminded her. "You owe me."

"I know." She said quietly. Even though she looked like Bonnie, my eyes saw Emily. "I'm sorry."

"Your about to be a lot more then that!" I ran towards her at full speed, but she was ready. Damn witch stuck out her hand and forced me into a stuck out tree branch. I moaned with pain and I hung there, helpless. I hated feeling helpless and all I knew, was Emily was about to destroy the last way for Katherine to come back. I tried with all that I could to push myself off the erected branch, but it was hard, and all those bunnies I had eaten this week weren't helping in the least.

It could have been hours, but eventually, Stefan me and pulled me off the branch. I fell on the ground and moaned. I felt like I was about to gag. "Ah, that hurts." I said with the little breath I had. "This is why I kill people."

"Stefan." Emily said. She paused while creating the crystal killer thing, I would have had a chance to take her down if I was strong enough, but I was still weak from the freaking branch that was stuck through my stomach.

"Hello Emily." Stefan said, a little nervous.

"These people don't deserve this; they should never have to know such evil."

"What do you mean evil?" Oh shit, she was about to give away the other half of my plan.

"Emily, I swear to god, I'll make you regret this." I tried to stand up (but failed) while holding my stomach.

"I won't let you unleash them into this world!" She yelled fiercely. Now I wasn't scared of her, I was mad.

"Them?" Stefan looked back at me. "What part of the story did you leave out Damon?"

"What does it matter?"

"Emily tell me what you did!" Stefan yelled at her.

"To save her, I had to save them."

"You saved everyone in the church?"

"With one comes all."

"I don't care about them." I finally spoke up. "I just want Katherine." I grabbed onto Stefan as my stomach healed itself a little. Emily gave me a loathing look (which I usually would have enjoyed) and went back to work.

"I knew I shouldn't believe a single word that comes out of your mouth!" Stefan grabbed onto my collar threateningly. "This isn't about love is it? This is about revenge."

"The two aren't mutual in this case." I mumbled, trying to get out of Stefan's grasp.

"Damon you can't do this!"

"WHY NOT?!" I pushed Stefan angrily. How did he not see this my way? "They killed twenty seven people and they called it a war battle they deserve whatever they get!"

"Twenty seven vampires Damon! They were vampires! You can't just, bring them back!" Stefan kept his hands locked on my arms. I pulled my brother closer to me.

"This town deserves this." I spat out.

"You're blaming innocent people for something that happened 145 years ago!"

"There is nothing innocent about these people! And don't think for a second that it won't happen again! They already know too much and they'll burn your little grand-witch right next to us when they find out." Stefan and I let go of each other. But I was right and he knew it. "Trust me."

"Things are different now." Emily whispered. Stefan looked at her.

"Don't do this." I pleaded. For her.

"I can't free them. I won't." Emily dropped the stick she had in her hand and yelled a spell into the air. Flames burst all around her.

"No!" I yelled, but I couldn't get to close. I stood outside the perimeter, blinded by the fire. Emily took the necklace out and held it out for me to see. I got even closer to the fire. "No, please." I begged. Someone screamed "Bonnie!" but I was too distracted to care. Emily threw the crystal into the air and it burst into a million pieces. "No!" I yelled as I saw my last chance of saving Katherine disappear.

I looked back at Emily as the fire simmered down and hate boiled over. I didn't even wanna stop myself. Even if she was Bonnie now, I ran as fast as I could and bit the bitch that destroyed any hope of getting Katherine back. I sunk my teeth into her neck and sucked as much blood as I could before Stefan came and pulled me off of her. I stared at her limp body on the ground, satisfied with my work. I had kept my part of the deal; it was Emily who didn't keep hers. Now, she was going to pay.

Stefan cut himself on the wrist and let Bonnie drink his blood to heal her wounds. Of course he would. Elena starred at me with hate and disgust. But all I saw was Katherine. And that's who I would always see.

"Her neck," Elena whispered. "It's healing." I looked at Bonnie who was now breathing and awake. All I wanted to do was sink my teeth back into her and make Emily suffer. But she was under Stefan's protection now.

She was gone. She had always been gone. But now, I'm here. Sitting on a log in the woods, and she can never come back. Stefan approached me. But I didn't care. He could have burned me right there, ripped my heart out. I would have been happy. That's what I wanted him to do. I just wanted it to be over.

"Katherine never compelled me I knew everything." He probably hated me even more. Knowing that I let her hurt him. "Every step of the way." He didn't say anything, he knew I wasn't done. And as much hell as I had put him through, he was my brother. "It was real for me." I whispered. I didn't want his pity so I did the one thing I thought would make him happy. "I'll leave now." I said simply. He nodded and walked back to the one thing in the world that was real to him. He had Elena. I knew he was going to leave too. He wanted to do what was best for her. He had that strength, which was the difference between us. He could get over Katherine and move on, but I couldn't.

There are no other crystals, no other loop holes, she's gone. As much as I resent it, it's the truth. There is nothing left for me anymore. I lost my brother, I lost Katherine, and I was truly alone.

**What did you think? Hate it? Like it? Want more? Episode requests? Comment and tell me!**


	4. Pilot

**Hey everyone! This chapter is shorter then some of the other ones because sadly, Damon only shows up at the end of the pilot. But at least he shows up right? So here is my interpretation of the Pilot of the Vampire Diaries. The start of it all. Oh, and also this might be my last one for about two weeks because I'm traveling next week and might not have much time for writing sadly. Its either this is the last one for a week or two, or they'll be one more and then a short break. But if i get a bunch of comments, it might motivate me to try to write like a maniac before i leave.  
**

**And is it just me? Or does January 14th seem like a lifetime away? Anyways, read, comment, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, i don't own the characters, but the interpretation does belong to me =)  
**

Stefan walked into his room at a quickened pace. He knew it was me. Or at least, he hoped it wasn't. He had ruined my life once before, so now I was here to ruin his. And more.

He looked exactly the same. I mean, I guess being seventeen forever doesn't change you all that much. In fact, it was kinnda refreshing to see him. It made me feel like nothing changed, even though everything had. But I wasn't about to let that backstabber see me…less strong then usual. Jesus, how long had it been? Oh right. 145. 145 years. That number was branded into my head.

He came back for her. But she didn't know it. I couldn't blame him, I would have too, but I had a better idea. One that would make Stefan mad that he hadn't thought of it first. One that would make his little Elena seem ordinary. Last time, it had been me hurt worse in the end.

Not anymore. No more weak Damon. No more weaknesses. I was going to be painless now. Now I wasn't going to be the one in pain. I motioned for my very skilled crow to fly into Stefan's room, I could see the "oh shit" come to his face. When he turned around, I was standing at his window sill. I couldn't help but grin as I saw his horror struck face. "Damon." God I missed hearing him say that.

"Hello brother." I smiled an evil smile. I was gonna make his life hell. He didn't seem to wanna wait for the insults and questions, but I was ready. I wasn't going to make this easy.

"Crow a bit much, don't you think?" he said as I strutted in the house without an invitation and started to look through the crap on his desk.

"Just wait till you see what I can do with the fog."

"When'd you get here?" he asked.

"Well I couldn't miss you first day of school!" I laughed a little and looked at all the diaries on his shelf. They all probably say the same thing, _Oh I'm so miserable and I have nothing to live for_. Boo-hoo. Cry me a river Stefan. I was so tired of his complaining. He didn't have complaining rights. "Your hairs different, I like it."

"It's been fifteen years Damon." He said it like it was supposed to mean something.

"Thank god, I couldn't take another day in the 90's. That horrible grunge look, did not suit you." I laughed again. Circling him like the predator I was. Looking around his room made it seem like I never left. Everything was pretty much the same. "Remember Stefan, its important to stay away from the fads,"

"Why are you here!?" he demanded. I felt like this was going to be the start of a continuous question that I would reject answering again and again. I turned around pretending to look appalled at the question.

"I missed my little brother."

"You hate small towns its boring there's nothing for you to do." Obviously. But I needed to keep him interested.

"I've managed to keep myself busy."

"You know you left that girl alive tonight," Oh damn. "That's very clumsy of you."

"Ah that could be a problem," but I wasn't planning to stay long. "For you." I smiled again, entertained by my work with Stefan already. This is easier then I anticipated.

"Why are you here now?"

"I could ask you the same question however I'm fairly certain it could be summed up into one little word." I waited for his facial expression to change. It didn't. "Elena." I smiled a devil smile as he flared his nostrils. I loved to push him. After all, he deserves it now. And I wasn't going to spare his feelings this time.

"She took my breath away…Elena." I glanced at him and he looked pissed. But I wasn't gonna stop anytime soon. "She's a dead ringer for Katherine." He faced me and I could tell I was making his blood churn a little bit. "Is it working Stefan? Being around her, being in her world does it make you feel alive?" I laughed a little bit. We could never feel "alive" no matter how many humans we didn't kill and actually hung out with.

"She's not Katherine." He insisted.

"Well lets home not, cause we both know how that ended." I checked the corner of my eye as I walked closer to him. He still didn't look that convinced, I needed to try harder. "Tell me something, when was the last time you had something stronger then a squirrel?" Stefan turned a way a little bit and laughed.

"I know what your doing Damon it's not gonna work." I was not getting my back turned on. I was going to make him crack no matter what it took. I pushed him hard.

"Common, don't you crave a little?"

"Stop."

"Lets do it, together." I said pushing him again, his eyes getting a little fierce and angry. Exactly what I had anticipated. "I saw a couple of girls out there. Or, let's just cut right to the chase; let's just go straight for Elena!" Stef pushed me back this time.

"Stop it!"

"Imagine what her blood tastes like!" Stefan turned away from me, but I knew he was getting thirsty just thinking about it. I knew I was, but the taste of human blood to him after all these years would seem so much more appealing to him then me who had it less then an hour ago.

"I said STOP!" he lunged at me unexpectedly and we flew out the window. Stefan hit the ground hard, but I on the other hand, curved out of his meager grasp, slipped his ring off his finger, landed on my toes and then casually leaned on the gate. That had been easy. Pushing him over the edge, this whole thing would be easy if it kept going like this. He still needed to know who was boss.

It took him a few seconds, but eventually, he got up and looked at the broken window.

"I was impressed. I'll give it a six, missed some style but I was pleasantly surprised." I smiled at my wit and his pain. "The face 'Rar rar!' thing," I laughed as I imitated his face that kinnda resembled a bear. "It was good!"

"Yeah it's all fun and games Damon huh? But wherever you go people die." I looked at him. Was that a question?

"That's a given."

"Not here. I won't allow it." Ha. Like he could stop me if I wanted to destroy this whole town.

"I take that as an invitation." I said. Stefan then lowered himself to pleading, but I wasn't giving into him.

"Damon please, after all these year why can't we just give it a rest?"

"I promised you an eternity of misery," I shrugged, he remembered. "I'm just keeping my word."

"Just stay away, from Elena!" he sounded like he was on the verge of tears. I didn't answer his question. I wondered if he thought I would actually take him seriously. After all this time? I could do whatever the hell I wanted. But i changed the subject.

"Where's you ring?" I asked stupidly. I had it. I just wanted to see if I could possibly make Stefan more worried. He looked at his hand examining his middle finger. "The Sun's comin' up in a couple hours, and 'poof!' there's just ashes." I pretended to look worried. He looked at me; his face was hard to read. "Relax." I walked towards him extending my arm. "It's right here." Stefan still looked confused as he took the ring and put it on his hand.

And I was gonna keep it that way, him confused. He wasn't going to have any idea of what's coming next. None at all. To keep the surprise up, I hissed at him and grabbed him by the neck. He was helpless against me. I threw him effortlessly against the garage door. He banged off it and laid there like a dead puppy. I looked down at his weak figure. "You should know better then to think your stronger then me. You lost that fight when you stopped feeding on people. I wouldn't try it again." I warned him. Suddenly, I heard a human start getting up and walking around. I smiled, thinking about what to do to my next torture victim. "I think we woke Zack up!" I left Stefan gasping on the pavement as I walked back to the house whistling. "Sorry Zack." I heard him gasp too. I knew he was scared of me, and he should be. He had better believe it. Everyone had better believe it. Damon was back, and there wasn't anything or anyone strong or smart enough to stop what was coming.

**You like? You Hate? You want more? Tell me. Any episode suggestions for when i come back?**


	5. 162 Candle's

**I'm baaaccckkk. Sorry for the long delay. First, it was just a little holiday break, then my computer crashed so it wasn't fixed until a week later. So sorry for the taking forever to upload. But here it is, this might have been one of the most difficult episodes to write. But i think (in my opinion) it turned out okay. But enough about what i think, what you YOU think? And ps. I would love to thank my awesome new friend zozo42. An awesome pen pal and friend =) Gimme YOUR story girl!**

I smelt something, it wasn't normally what I would smell when I walked into our house. It wasn't something you would normally smell in a guy's house. It was perfume and that hideous smell of chalky make up. My first instinct was Elena and I got excited, but I didn't smell her blood, which was something my amazing vampire senses could smell from miles away.

I walked into one of the empty bedrooms where I heard breathing. I was right. It wasn't Elena, it was Lexi. I smiled wicked smile. Me and her never really saw eye to eye on everything. And I'm sure Stefan never put in a good word for me. Another person to inflict misery on. I could tell this was going to be a good day.

I ran over super fast to lie next to her. She turned over trying to get in a good sleeping position, but her eyes opened and the look in them eyes was priceless. She gasped when she saw me.

"Boo." I smiled. She rolled her eyes and groaned. I was off to a good start. But she was one person I did need to be a little cautious of. Never the less, I could still have fun. "Hello Lexi." I said deviously. She just gave me a dirty look. "What an unexpected surprise." Lexi scoffed, she wasn't buying anything. I was having fun anyways.

"Unexpected surprise? I think the wrong brother went back to high school."

"How long are you here?" I asked, ignoring her stupid comment.

"Just for Stefan's b-day."

"Aw, you mean you didn't come all this was just to see me?" I asked. She laughed again.

"That's it Damon. After a century I finally realized death means nothing without you." She got really close and fingered my head towards hers and whispered "do me." I would have, if she wasn't so freaking pushy all the time. Plus, she probably would break…me.

But Lexi just rolled her eyes and got up from the bed. I shifted so I was on my back. "Why are you so mean to me?" She gave me another dirty look.

"Uh, have you met you? You're not a nice person."

"Well, cause I'm a vampire." I felt like I was at a therapist's office. She was so knaggy.

"But you're only the bad parts." I leaned up and went towards her.

"Teach me to be good." But before I could ever blink, she ran around the bed and had me by the neck. And man did she have some grip.

"I'm older, and that means stronger." She wasn't done yet.

"I'm sorry." I managed to squeal out.

"Don't ruin my time with Stefan. Because I'll hurt you, and you know I can do it." She whispered the last few words into my ears.

"Yeah" was all I said. Which was a complete lie, I had a plan to ruin her time with Stefan and there wasn't anything she could do about it. She gave me one last dirty look before she let go of my neck and stomped out of the room. I took a deep breath. That was the one problem with Lexi. Damn chick couldn't take a joke. I had to be tricky with her; she was stronger, so when I made my move, it had to surprising.

I walked into the living room just as Lexi asked Stefan "What are we doing tonight?"

"Funny you should ask." I said. If anyone could get Stefan out on the town, Lexi could. She was the biggest partier besides me that I had ever known. Anyways, like usual, when I spoke up she rolled her eyes.

"I wasn't asking _you._" I ignored her snide comment and walked towards Stefan.

"There's a party, at the grill. You'll love it, banquets, tacky wait staff, all of Stefan's friends." I smiled a little when I said "friends".

"Yeah I don't, want a birthday party." He said glumly. But he knew I wasn't taking no for an answer.

"Well it's not _for _you it's a party; party no one is going to know it's your birthday." He looked at me suspiciously. Then I decided to throw in "Caroline's throwing it."

"Damon, stay away from Caroline."

"We're friends it's cool." It took a lot for me to say _friends_ without laughing. She was my puppet, but Stefan didn't need all the details. "It's good for the townspeople to see us out and about like normal folk. We need to blend." Stefan knew I was up to something, but instead of giving him time to read my eyes, I looked down at what I didn't realize was there. But it wasn't the way _I _liked it. Lexi put up this front that she was fierce, but I guess not enough to actually kill her _own _food. Pshh, lame. It looks like a freaking juice box.

"Eh," I sneered. "I prefer mine at 98.6." I started walking away, but kept my ears open until I heard Stefan and Lexi agree that they were coming to my party. Time to crack open the tequila.

I had to admit, Caroline did know how to throw a good party, if only she would get my crystal back. I mean, the shallow bitch was only one little slip up away from me killing her. But I guess that wasn't going to happen quite yet, since her mom was right on my ass, but not for long, if everything went according to plan. I wasn't having much fun just sitting at the bar that is, until I saw Elena come through the front door. Too bad she wasn't looking for me, of course, she was looking for Stefan. She looked hesitant to walk over; after all he was with his body guard. But being the saint I am, I decided to help her out a little. Once she saw me looking at her, she looked away. I laughed to myself a little.

"Stefan smiles," I said. "Alert the media." She was right back in my face with the fighting though. Good to know the girl hasn't lost her touch.

"You haven't given him a lot of reasons to be happy lately."

"Oh you're right, poor Stefan." He and his muse were laughing about their pool game. He was probably losing or something. "Persicuted throughout eternity by his depraved brother." I shook my head and sucked on my teeth. "Does it get tiring, being so righteous?" I asked sarcastically. She laughed without humor.

"It flares up in the presence of psychopaths." She tried to walk away, but I wasn't done yet.

"Ouch well, consider this psychopaths feelings hurt." She turned around and looked at me with her huge brown eyes.

"What did you do to my brother?" Wow, that was a surprising question. It totally came out of the blue. But if it kept me talking to her…

"I'm going to need a less, vague question."

"When you did what you did to Jeremy's memory, of Vicky." Oh yeah that. I walked towards her, to say it so she could here me when no one else could, and because I liked being close to her.

"You asked me, to take away his memory of fangs and 'Rar' and all the bad stuff." I shrugged. "You wanted me to take away his suffering."

"But he's acting different. He seems ok with everything, and I a little _too_ ok. He's studying, he's not doing, he's not drinking," where was she going with this. I did this poor guy a favor. "Are you sure you didn't do anything else?"

"Elena," god I loved saying that. But maybe she needed a little more obviousness. "I took away his suffering."

I walked out of Mystic Grill, very pleased with my work on Caroline. Hopefully, she would be so miserable she would cry herself to sleep, or even leave me alone for good. Unless of course, I needed her for a favor.

Eww, was that flirting and giggling I hear? Yep, it was. I looked to my right and saw a teenage girl and guy making out at the bottom of the stairs. I couldn't stand seeing them, or any other cutsie couple being all lovey dovey with each other. Then I smiled, this couple would not be all lovey dovey for much longer. I ran out of view, waiting for the opportune moment. I made a little bit of noise, to get a little bit of attention.

"Did you hear that?" the girl asked. This was going perfectly. I could already tell this was going to be exactly how I wanted it to be.

"No it's cool," the boy said, reassuring her. "No one is coming down here." Then I jumped down the stairs and dug my teeth into his neck, the juiciest part of the human. I sucked up enough blood to at least knock him out for now, but he would probably be dead from loss of blood by the time the police would get there. He fell to the ground and the girl broke into an ear splitting shriek.

I took the girl by the neck and stopped her from screaming. She calmed down and then I looked into her eyes, and made her forget everything that happened. I made her think it was someone else who had killed her little weak boyfriend. It was someone else who had scared her to death, and then was sloppy enough to leave this scared to death girl alive. I made her believe it was Lexi.

I was eavesdropping on Elena and Stefan when Lexi came up and shoved shots into my face. "Alright the shots are a bribe. I need you to answer a question." Oh yey, this one again. "What are you really doing in Mystic Falls?"

"Have you tried the brittle?" I asked. Avoiding the question once again. She didn't really except me to answer it. "It wins awards."

"Cut the crap." I took one of her shots. I thought for a second and decided to give her something I never gave Stefan.

"Okay. I have a diabolical master plan." She nodded, and didn't seem surprised.

"What is it?"

"Well if I told you it wouldn't be very diabolical now would it?" She gave me another signature Lexi dirty look.

But then I saw them from the corner of my eye. The sheriff and the scarred girl were coming in, looking for the vampire who had hurt her. She pointed hesitantly towards us. They were coming. The sheriff came fast towards the bar where Lexi and I were talking. I smelt the vervaine just as she injected it into Lexi's bloodstream. At first, I acted surprised, which I half was, because I didn't expect this all to go down in front of this many people.

"What are you doing!?" I asked the sheriff, but she was doing exactly what I had planned, dragging Lexi out of the bar. Everything was going fine so far, but Stefan noticed quicker then I had expected. He knew something was up when he smelt that vervaine. I slipped out the back of the grill stealthily, and placed myself in a position where I could see Lexi and the cop.

I was doing this for our own good. Those stupid people would get off our backs, and I would get rid of the vervaine. I was doing this for Stefan, even if he wouldn't see that at first.

Lexi acted limp at first, but then she became her true self. She threw the weak police officers into the air and shrieked. Caroline's mom removed her gun from her holster as Lexi came towards her. I had the wooden steak in my hands, and the sheriff fired her first shot. Then came another, and another and another. I was about to make my move when I saw Stefan and Elena coming out from the grill. But I was too fast. I wouldn't let Stefan stop me from doing this. I ran and plunged the wooden steak smack into her heart. She looked at me, surprised, and I almost had a hint of self doubt. Almost. "Why?" she cried.

I just shrugged. "Its part of the plan." Then before I could regret my decision, I twisted the steak one more time to secure the damage I had done. She was feeling the pain in her heart that I had felt so long ago. Lexi fell to her death and I looked at her broken body. It was a loss. A sacrifice that needed to be made if I wanted the end to work out. Like I had said to her, it was part of the plan.

I sat at my old desk. Despite my few doubts, I was happy with myself. I did what I needed to do in order to get what I wanted. And nothing would stop me from getting what I wanted. Then I heard Stefan take my entrance through the window. I knew I had to face his anger some time. He was going to be mad, but I was ready to take whatever he threw at me. I had deserved it. Even if not for this, for other things. And I would let him have this.

"Told you I'd take care of it." I said. I thought he was going to say something back, but instead, he came at me and punched me. Hard. He threw me against the wall and grabbed me by the collar before I could even respond, punching me over and over again. I kicked him and made him fly through the air. He was up in no time and ready for another round. I came at him but he was too angry with rage to care. He turned on me and put me up against the wall.

"Come on, I did this for you, to get them off our trail."

"You never do anything for anyone but yourself." True. Stefan reached behind his back and pressed a steak into my belly. I was surprised. I expected a few punches, but not this. It hurt, and at first, I thought he had actually gotten me. I looked at his hand and felt a little relief. But not as much relief as I thought I would feel if I realized I wasn't about to die. In fact, I was a little disappointed he missed. If he had hit my heart, I would have been free. I would have been with her, forever. I wouldn't have had to hurt Stefan like I had; it would have been all over.

"You missed." I said, upset.

"No. You saved my life, I'm sparing yours. We're even." He drove the steak deeper into my belly. "And now we're done." Stefan turned and walked out as I slid down the wall towards the ground. I took a deep breath and yanked the steak out. He had missed, but not by much. Either he completely killed me, or he left me to do what I had to do. Since he wasn't going to put me out of my misery, I guess I had to follow up with Plan B. I had to be more cautious of him then I thought. He did have the power to kill me. But I don't think he had the heart to.

**Love it? Hate it? Which you wanna see next?**


	6. Bloodline

**IMPORTANT! Hey everyone! I'm sorry for the wait...i tried to get this up before Unpleasantville, but it didnt happen im sorry =( But then i tried to but it up on Friday, but when i uploaded, it said that "Processing Error: This file could not be converted" has that ever happened to anyone? Because its annoying and i dont know how to fix it. I had to copy and paste six pages into my 162 Candles document. I'm sorry for the delay. **

**Another thing, i want to say that this episode was especially hard to write because it was soooo long. So many Damon scenes that i really had to pick and choose wisely. I'm really sorry if i left out a favorite scene. It was very difficult and i hope i did ok. Anyways, read, review, enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: i own no characters or plots. **

In fairy tales, the villain never saves the damsel in distress, but in this case, I was making an exception. I heard her screaming, and I had heard that scream before. And it was one I didn't want to hear again. I ran to her as fast as I could. She was upside down on the side of the road, so I went and greeted her. She jumped when she saw me, and usually this would be a pleasant sight, but not this time. "How you doin' in there?" I asked.

"Damon." She whined. It was painful to hear.

"You look stuck." I stood up and tried to see if I could pick the car up to get her out.

"It's my seatbelt!" she groaned. Small cries escaped her mouth, but I tried to calm her down so that I could help her out. I kneeled down again to where she was hanging in her seat.

"I'm gonna get you out of here. I want you to put your hands on the roof," surprisingly, she did what I asked. "Just like that. You ready?" she nodded. "One, two three!" And I yanked the seatbelt buckle out and reached in the car to gently take her out. "I've got you." I whispered. She was still mortified, but she was safe with me. She always would be. "You okay? Can you stand?" I asked. "Is anything broken?" She was unresponsive. I tried to set her on her feet, but she collapsed into my arms again. "Your fading fast Elena." I gently stroked my fingers through her hair. "Elena, look at me. Focus." She avoided my eyes for a while, but then they met mine. "Ok." I whispered. I hated seeing her in this type of pain. It hurt me.

"Do I look like her?" She mumbled, but I didn't really understand what she meant.

"What?" but it was too late. Elena Gilbert was out cold. I looked at her beautiful face and stroked her hair again and again. Whoever did this was going to pay. But until I found out who it was, I had a better idea. "Upsy-daisy." I said to no one unparticular. I scooped Elena into my arms and carried her away from the destroyed van. Which was something I probably would have to get rid of after I set her down gently into my car.

She looked beautiful when she slept. Actually well, that was an understatement. She looked stunning when she slept. She looked good, smelt good, and even though she was still asleep, she even felt good with me. I could protect her in the ways that Stefan never could. He had limits and rules, I didn't.

The setting got more and more familiar as we went deeper and deeper into Georgia. It was irritating to have to be back here. Same way I felt about Mystic Falls. But I knew this time would be different. No Stefan, but Elena. Who, speak of the devil, was waking up.

I greeted her bead-head with a cheery "Mornin'!" She just looked dazed and confused.

"Where are we?" she asked, rubbing the bump on her head.

"Georgia."

"Georgia?" She was completely lost. "No, no, no we're not. Seriously Damon where are we?"

"Seriously we're, we're in Georgia." She was too pissed to speak. "How'r you feeling?" I asked gingerly.

"I fee- I-"

"There's no broken bones." I answered the question probably floating around in her head somewhere. "I checked."

"My car…there was a man…I hit a man!" The events of last night were coming back to her in small pieces. "And then he got up and – who was that?!"

"That's what I would like to know." It was a bit of a mystery. Whoever was in the road obviously wanted to be there. And whoever hit Elena and made her get hurt was not going to be easily forgiven. I'd make sure that.

"Where's my phone? Ok, we really need to go back no one knows where I am!" Uhh this was when she would _not _be very flexible. "Pull over. I mean it Damon pull over!" I smiled a little bit, it was kinnda amusing how freaking worried she was. "Stop the car!"

"Ugh, you were so much more fun when you were asleep." I gave in and pulled over. I didn't know why though, what did she think? I was gonna drive her to the airport? No way.

She got out of the car slower then I had, and she was wincing in pain. She held her back until I rushed over to take it off her hands.

"You okay?" I whispered hesitantly. She was surprised when I helped her, which would be expected considering I don't help people often.

"I'm fine." She was strong. A normal person would have cried and bitched, but she wasn't a normal person. She took a few steps forward before staying "we have to go back!"

"Oh common look, we've already come this far!"

"Why are you doing this? I can't be in Georgia! I-I wrecked my car I have to go home. This is kidnapping!" I put my hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down.

"That's a little melodramatic don't you think?" I cocked a smile. She didn't.

"You're not funny." I removed my hand from her shoulder. Damn girl was killing my buzz. "You can't do this I'm not going to Georgia."

"Well you're in Georgia!" She looked around, as if everything around her suddenly appeared. "Without your magic little necklace I might add." Her hand found its way to her neck. "I could very easily make you…agreeable." She looked at me as if challenging my ability to do it. I could, if she _really _wasn't cooperating.

"What are you trying to prove?" Before I could answer, her phone (that was n my jacket at the time) rang. I had a feeling I knew who it was.

"That's my phone." Elena said, on the edge of enragement. I looked at the caller ID and smirked.

"It's your boyfriend." She looked at the phone, but didn't take it. I must have been missing something. But I figured, I've come this far. Why not push Stefan and little more. "Elena's phone." I answered, knowing how angry that would make him.

"Where is she? Why do you have her phone is she ok?" Stefan sounded scared out of his mind.

"Elena? Yeah she's right here. And yes, she's…fine." I guess that would be the word to describe her now.

"Where are you? Let me speak to her?"

"He wants to talk to you." I held the phone out for little Miss Stefan to take, but she rejected it. To be honest, it made me feel a little bit happy that she was denying him any words at all. This plan of mine might be easier then I thought it would be. "Yeah I don't-I don't think she really wants to talk to you right now."

"Damon I swear to god, if you touch her…"

"You have a good day. Mhm, bye now." I hung up and I could feel Stefan's rage three states away.

Meanwhile, Elena needed a minute to recompose herself, but I think she was ready for a serious chat.

"Look no one knows where I am can we please just go back?"

"We're almost there."

"Where is there?"

"A little place right outside of Atlanta." This didn't seem to reassure her at all. I had to push this, and she was stubborn, it wasn't going to be easy. "Oh common Elena. You don't wanna go back right now do you?" She sighed. If I kept this up, I might have her cooperate. "What's the rush? Time out, trust me. Problem is still gonna be there when you get home." That seemed to have her reevaluate the situation. "Look, step away from you life for five minutes." Her big brown eyes pierced me, but I kept it cool. "Five minutes." She stepped back to think.

"Am I going to be safe with you?" She asked.

"Yes." True.

"Do you promise not to do that mind control thing with me?"

"Yes." Also true.

"Can I trust you?" I didn't answer that one.

"Get in the car. Common." I didn't need to stare at her for another minute. Those 10 minutes were enough for a lifetime.

We ordered a burger and I knew I had some explaining to do. So, Elena had found out about the real Katherine and the coincidence that they are practically twins. No wonder she had driven like mad out of our house. Good choice, landing her with me in Georgia. Even if she didn't believe my "nice act," I was determined to show her…another side of me, without revealing too much. Wouldn't wanna ruin my reputation.

"Lets just say that I am a descendent from Katherine, does that make me part vampire?" Elena started in on her questions. I shook my head and grabbed a French fry.

"Vampire's can't pro-create. But we'd love to try." I grinned, keeping my sexy carefree attitude with me. It was worth a shot. She didn't laugh, but she didn't seem as pissy as usual. "No look, if you were related, that would mean Katherine had a child before she was turned."

"Did Stefan think he could use me to…replace her?" It wasn't really a question. She knew the answer.

"Its kinnda creepy if you ask me." She ripped up a fry angrily. I didn't really blame Stefan, I would have done the same thing I'd I had seen her first. Elena would never understand. I decided to lighten the mood a little. This talk of Katherine was depressing me, and her apparently. "Common you don't like pickles what's wrong with you?" I stole hers.

"How can you even eat if, technically you're supposed to be…" I looked around sarcastically and whispered in a creepy old-fashion movie voice.

"Dead? It's not such a bad word. As long as I keep a healthy diet of…blood in my system," I shrugged. "My body functions, pretty normally." I ate another fry to ease her unsure-ness. And you know what? She laughed.

"This nice act," she started. "Is any of it real?" I decided not to answer that. Thank god Bree suddenly showed up with my well needed beer. I thanked her when Elena suddenly spoke up.

"I'll have one too." I looked at her curiously, not knowing what the hell was going on in her head. "Time-out remember? For five minutes? Well that five minutes is going to need beer." When Bree handed Elena that beer, I knew right then, this was going to be more fun then I had anticipated. Hesitantly, she knocked bottles with mine and we silently shared a toast.

Something wasn't right. I got off the stool and started heading to the back door where Elena had disappeared. I hadn't done anything to scare her off yet. My eyes searched for her to the left of the outside of the bar, then the right. When I saw out of the corner of my eye, a phone on the ground. Elena's phone. One she wouldn't just leave on the ground.

I to the back of the bar frantically searching for her. I knew I wasn't alone.

"Damon no!" I heard Elena cry. I saw her standing near some sort of "High Voltage" area. Before I could even process the words, I was hit by an incoming van. No, it wasn't a van. It was a vampire. After I flew across the parking lot and landed flat on my back, he hit my with a crow bar, or was it a metal baseball bat?

"What the hell?" I asked the rogue vamp. Elena was coming towards us, but the words to tell her to stop weren't coming out. Then, the damn dude practically drowned me in gas. He was going to burn me. It was coming, Elena and Stefan would be free of me, and this pining away for Katherine would be over. But then I heard something I thought I would never hear.

"No!" Elena screamed. The vampire took a second look at her, warning her not to come closer. Before I could retaliate, the guy continued to pour the gross shit on me.

"Who are you?" I growled at the mysterious man. He just looked at me with ravenous eyes.

"That's perfect," he said. "You have no idea!"

"What are you talking about what did he do?" Elena, speaking up for me again. Something, a few hours ago, I would not have even imagined.

"He killed my girlfriend." Dude…I'm going to need something less vague. I started to regain a little bit of strength, but not enough to stop him from pouring more gas on me. "What did she do to you huh? What did she do to you!?"

"Nothin'." Was all I could say. I knew who he was talking about now. Lexi.

"I don't understand?" said a very confused Elena.

"My girlfriend went to visit Stefan, and Damon killed her got it?" his voice was dripping with disdain as he spat out my name. I sat groaning on the ground, not able to get up, not able to talk or think. Lexi's boy toy kicked me in the face.

"Lexi?" It finally all came to her. "Lexi was your girlfriend? She told me about you she said, that you were human." Elena was still completely confused.

"I was." He sounded like he was about to cry. I was attempting to crawl away, but the guy pulled matches out of his pocket.

"Lexi turned you?" I didn't know why Elena was wasting time; she could just let me die already.

"If you wanna be with someone forever, you have to live forever." He turned around and kicked me in the face once more.

"She loved you!" Elena cried frantically. "She said that, when it's real you cant walk away."

"Well that's a choice, you're not going to have to make." He turned back to me. This was it.

"Don't, don't, please don't hurt him!" Why was Elena defending me? Why wasn't she just going to let me die like I thought she wanted? I had held her against her will, I had been the vicious one, and yet, she was pleading for Lexi's ex not to kill me like he should. Maybe, inside all the hate, and all the anger, she…might…feel…sorry for me? I couldn't believe it. This girl was something else.

The guy struck a match and yelled to her "I'm doing you a favor!"

"Lexi loved you," he knew, but he turned to her anyways. "And she was good and that means you're good too!" She was buying me time. I didn't know why, but she was. "Be better then him. Don't do this I'm begging you. Please." The ravenous vampire grabbed me by the collar; I had no idea what he was going to do. He looked on the verge of tears, but for some reason, I knew how he felt. I knew what it was like to loose the one you truly loved. He threw me against the back wall of a warehouse and I slid to the ground. As I lay in pain, I could have sworn I heard Elena saying "Thank you."

The ride home was pleasantly quiet. A) We were getting out of this place, B) I was "alive" no thanks to Elena, and C) I was with her.

"So why did you bring me with you?" Elena asked after a very long silence. I didn't know which reason to answer with.

"Well, you're not the worst company in the world Elena." Of course, I would never really reveal that not only was she not the worst company in the world, she was also the best. But she didn't really buy that reason anyway. "You should give yourself more credit."

"Seriously?"

"I don't know. You were there in the road, all 'damsel in distress' like, and I knew it would piss off Stefan, and" that was defiantly one of my favorite reasons. "You're not the worst company in the world Elena." I smiled at her, and she actually smiled back.

"I used to be more fun." I could see that.

"You did ok."

"I saved your life." I raised my eyebrow at her. I decided not to point out all the other times I had saved _her_ life. She was feeling pretty good about herself, and I know how that feels.

"I know."

"And don't you forget it." She said. And I wouldn't forget it. I wouldn't forget anything about this trip. We had…I guess you could say bonded. I could tell she felt a little better about me, she knew I wasn't completely vicious. And as hard as it was, I hadn't used and compulsion with her. Our relationship wasn't perfect, but it this would be enough…for now.

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	7. Children of the Damned

**A/N-Hey everybody! I know I know, havent updated as much as i would have liked, but I was recently hit by a sucky snow storm which made me lose power. Which meant no computer. But no excuse, i told myself i would have this up by "Fool Me Once" which is the episode airing TOMORROW! Then a god damn SIX WEEK HIATUS? i don't know if ill be able to take it how about you? *****SPOILER ALERT***** i saw an interview with Kevin Williamson, and guess what? That tomb gets opened. I had a buttload of theory's, but every time i have some,** **they always end up being wrong.****END OF SPOILER ALERT**** But "Children of the Damned" was awesome****. Completely unpredictable. I thought Damon was going to snap Elena's neck like a twig. But i shed a tear i'll admit. I felt so bad for him in this episode. Poor Damon =( **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my thoughts on his thoughts. Wish I owned Damon...**

Ugh. I hade woken up, yet again, to the disgusting sounds of Elena and her precious Stefan drooling all over each other. Not like I had slept much the past few nights, figuring out how to get Jonathan Gilberts journal, but their annoying roughness in the middle of the night didn't help anything. I heard Elena tell Stefan it was a good morning. I don't know what she saw, but from where I was standing, it was not a good morning. At least, not yet. I suddenly got a great idea to ruin their day like they had ruined so many of mine. I appeared at the foot of Stefan's bed.

"Rise and shine sleepy heads!" I said merrily, I had ruined their cutesy mood. Oh damn. They both protested as Stefan covered Elena with covers. Its not like she was naked or anything. "Stop being smutty." I smirked.

"Seriously get outta here!" Stefan said, oh so threateningly, I just rolled my eyes.

"If I see something I haven't seen before ill throw a dollar at it. Now listen," They both looked at each other, obviously annoyed. "I have some very important business to discuss,"

"And it has to be right now?" Elena snapped.

"Well we have lots to do." I insisted. Plus, I just liked to annoy them. Stefan is always most irritable in the morning. "Now that we're all _friends _and working towards a common goal." I hesitated at the word "friends" using the term very loosely. "So in order to open the tomb, we need to find the journal to get the grimoire to undo the spell. First things first since you are Elena _Gilbert _your on journal duty."

"Since when am I helping?" she asked.

"Well Stefan's helping and since you've taken up residence in Stefan's bed…ergo-"

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do." Of course, Stefan jumping in so poor Elena doesn't feel too pressured. Spare me.

"I'll look for it today." Elena hid herself back under the covers. Leaving me upset that I couldn't see her in her little tank top anymore.

"How do we know if this journal will hold the location of the grimoire?" I thought about that for a second. "We're really going to take the word of this vampire; he seemed like sort of a dim-wit."

"I'm in lewd of any other options."

"Ok what _exactly_ is a grimoire anyway?" Elena now is not the time for your incompetent questions.

"It's a witches cook book." I said summing it up in the fastest way I could, ready to continue with the "how" of the situation, but Stefan was still focused on making sure Elena knew the "what".

"Every spell a witch casts, is unique unto itself so every witch would document their work-"

"Yeah," I interrupted oh-so rudely. "cookbook."

"What about our mystery vampire?" I thought about that for a second. Looking back and forth between Stefan and Elena, kind of imagining what has been going on up hear the past few nights. "Dim-wit obviously wasn't working alone so whoever's out there knows who we are."

"And I don't like that disadvantage so," I clapped my hands. "Chop chop!"

I heard both of them sigh behind my back, but hey, Stefan offered to do this my way. "I really like this whole minaja-three some team thing. Its got a little kink to it." I laughed a little bit, but Stefan's face continued to brood while Elena looked uncomfortable. "Don't screw it up." And with that, I left them to making out some more, which reminded me of the good ol' days.

Katherine giggling under the covers after a long nights work. Just us two. I remember tickling her and kissing her everywhere until she always asked me to stop. And the same response from me came every time. "Make me." I would say. Then her beautiful body would roll on top of me and her fangs emerged, just like her other side. But even as a vampire she was beautiful. She would hiss at me, but I would only caress her face some more until the gentle expression came back. Her eyebrows would arch at me, as if excepting my challenge. but before we could continue where we had always left off, Emily Bennett had knocked on the door.

"Yes?" Katherine let her in. At first, it was awkward for me, but I grew to understand the openness of the witches and vampires of Mystic Falls.

"Excuse me Miss Katherine, Miss Pearl is here to see you." Katherine continued to rub my bear chest.

"I'll be down soon please ask her to wait." But Emily continued to stand there. Surveying us. "Thank you Emily." That was Katherine's way of saying _Get the hell out of here._

"Fun's over." Katherine pouted, as did I. I tucked her beautiful long dark hair behind her ears as we shared one long last kiss, just like the two in Stefan's room upstairs, only this time, I wouldn't need to share.

* * *

I was invited in so, naturally, I make it apparent to meet the family. I mean, it's not like I'm a rude ass hole or anything. Well, at least, not to people who don't deserve it. Well…never mind. Once Elena saw me and Jenna hangin' out, I knew she got suspicious. But she didn't have anything to worry about…however I did. Stefan and me and trust, all didn't work very well in the same category. At one point of the night, Jenna decided to go get more wine. So it was just me and Elena. Setting the table. It was nice and quiet, but I "accidentally" bumped into her which sent her on a rave.

"Don't do that." She said sternly.

"Do what?"

"You know what, that move was deliberate."

"Yeah I was deliberately trying to get to the…sink." I stirred the sauce avoiding her eyes. But I heard her scoff behind me.

"Speaking of Stefan," no one was speaking of Stefan. "Where is he? He's missing family night which," I looked at her and smiled a half smile. "I am enjoying immensely." There was a pause. When the question I had floating around in my head all week suddenly emerged. And Elena and I had bonded; we were friends in a way. I could ask. I _would _ask. "Is it real?"

"Is what real?" She asked confused.

"His renewed sense of…brotherhood." pause for a taste of the sauce. Which was rather amazing if you ask me. I am a regular day Guy Fieri. I looked at Elena, very seriously. "Can I trust him?"

"Yes you can trust him." She hesitated and turned away from me. I didn't like either. If anyone knew the answer to this question and was willing to actually tell it to _me, _it would be her. But I could tell she was hiding something. I appeared behind her and faced her straight on as she turned around. I looked at her completely serious.

"Can I trust him?" I asked again.

"I'm wearing vervain Damon. Its not gonna work." I was confused. Did she really think after all this time I would actually compel _her_?

"I'm not compelling you." She looked surprised. "I just want you to answer me. Honestly." She looked into my eyes.

"Of course you can." Then she turned and walked away. Her tone was sincere, but something inside me was still iffy. But I had to remember. Elena was not Katherine.

"You know," I started. "There was a time that I trusted him more then anyone." Elena started putting together a salad and ate some scrapes of it on the way to the table.

"Trust breads trust." She said. "You gotta give it to get it." I was taken aback.

"Are you lecturing me?" I asked.

"Do you need to be lectured?" she challenged. But she had told the truth before, so I guess it was my turn to tell her a little something.

"I just want her back." I shrugged. "I'm sure you can understand that."

"I can, understand that you would do anything for her, yes." She placed the salad on the table. She got it. If I ever tried to explain any of this to Stefan, he would just believe I wanted revenge on him like he always thought.

"Then you understand what I will do if anyone gets in my way." She didn't move. But I knew she heard me loud and clear. It wasn't a threat. It was a warning to her, so she knew I didn't have limits. Because to get Katherine back…I didn't.

* * *

I sat at the bar waiting for this Anna to show up. Depending on who she was, I would have to see if I should kill her or not. And why the hell she wanted the journal. Only a few know about everything, most of them left town or don't care. Maybe she was just freaky and was into all the vampire shit. But then again, maybe not. I listened as Elena's kid brother greeted a young girl coming through the door.

"You just couldn't live without me huh?" That voice. I knew that voice.

"I kinnda missed my daily dose of cute stalker chick." Jeremy knew how to play it cool. I had to give him props. After Vicky, I didn't think he'd go for the rebound so fast. He knew how to get over a girl. "Let's play." I heard Jeremy say. I looked over at them casually. No. It couldn't be.

Who was she? She looked too familiar. But then I remembered.

It was raining in Mystic Falls that day. Katherine, Pearl and I were in their store, escaping the real world and everyone in it.

"The sheriff was here earlier." Pearl had said. "He bought large volumes of the vervain elixir." Back then, vervain meant nothing to me. I hadn't known what it did exactly; all I knew is that it hurt Katherine. So naturally, I wanted it all gone.

"Did he try to put his hands on you again?"

"Doesn't he always?"

"She's saving herself for Jonathan Gilbert." Katherine explained to me. The mental image of Katherine on my arm was so real; I could feel the place where my heart was supposed to be ache a little.

"I'm beyond saving. We know that." Both the ladies laughed. I, however, was not so happy.

"How could you be so calm? They're getting closer to you every day." I said, but they didn't seem to worry in the least.

"We're the respectable young ladies of Mystic Falls and thanks to Emily, we walk the streets in daylight." This had calmed me a little bit. "No one will ever suspect us."

"Not unless a human tells them." Pearl gave me a threatening look. But obviously, she didn't know the way I had felt about Katherine…or thought I felt.

"I'd sooner die." Her expression changed a little bit, but I could tell her guard was still up.

"And soon enough," Katherine turned my face towards hers. "You will." I smiled as I gave her a light kiss on the lips. They were warm and inviting, leaving me begging for more. But instead, the voice of a teen had stopped us.

"Mrs. Fell is approaching." I stepped away from Katherine, looked at the petite girl in the door way and nodded at her. The same petite girl who was playing foosball with Jeremy at this very moment. Anna. Anna-bell. Pearl's daughter.

* * *

I knew it. I just knew it. He couldn't fool me. He wasn't going to help me; he never was going to help me. That son of a bitch. That god damn liar.

"Well what do you know," I announced loudly. Elena jumped up and shinned the flash light towards me. "This is an interesting turn of events." Stefan jumped up from the hole he dug to get into our fathers coffin, saving me some of the work.

"I can't let you bring her back, I'm sorry." He wasn't. He never would be. For anything.

"So am I." Stefan looked at me confused. "For thinking for a second that I could trust you." He just laughed humorlessly.

"You aren't capable of trust." I just stared at him. He thought that we were so different. Well take a good look Stefan. We are both standing in the same place. Each one of us betraying the other. "The fact that you're here means you read the journal and planned on doing this yourself."

"Of course I was gonna do it by myself. Because the only one I can count on is _me_!" A wave of rage washed over me as I experienced a case of déjà vu. "You made sure of that many years ago Stefan." I then turned my attention to Elena.

"But you," she looked at me with her big brown eyes. "You had me fooled." I couldn't tell what she was thinking. But I think she knew what I was. She was the one person I didn't think would turn out like this. I thought she would genuinely care. I was wrong. She looked like she was about to say something…anything. But she closed her mouth before any words came out. I hope she felt bad. I hope she was miserable inside, because it wouldn't even come close to the way I felt. I turned my focus back to Stefan; I wasn't going to waste any more time looking at Elena how I never looked at anyone else.

"So what are you gonna do now? Because if you destroy that, I'll rip her heart out."

"You won't kill her." Stefan insisted. I thought about proving him wrong, but that thought flew out of my head fast as I remembered her begging another to spare my life. But I wasn't going to let my chance of getting Katherine back escape me. I ran to Elena and wrapped my arm around her body.

"I can do something better." I brought my wrist to my lips and sliced a small opening and shoved it to her mouth, forcing her to drink my blood. She struggled, but I needed that book, and was willing to do whatever it took to get it back. "Gimme the book Stefan. Or I'm snapping her neck, and you and I, can have a vampire girlfriend." _Just like we had so many years ago._

"Let her go first." I shook my head and took my wrist away from her mouth.

"The book first."

"I'm not going to give this to you, until she is standing next to me."

"The problem is I no longer trust that you'll give it back!" I spat at him, but he didn't take his eyes off Elena.

"You just did the one thing that ensures that I will." Really? He'd rather Katherine come back and have this town destroyed then have Elena turn into a vampire?

I clenched my jaw and motioned for him to set the grimoire down. He set it down on the ground and I looked at Elena. I could do it so easily. If I did it right now, she would be one of us. One little tweak of my figures. I could betray Stefan like he had betrayed me. But I didn't. I took my arm away from her neck, and gently fixed her hair. Then pushed her towards Stefan. The held onto each other as they walked out of the forest and left me. Alone.

Stefan was the same then as he is now. A liar. I had put my trust in him and he had let me down again. Only this time, the place where my father used to stand, stood a petite brown haired girl.

A girl who I never thought would become this. The exact same thing that Stefan was. But soon enough, I wouldn't need her. Soon enough, I would have my revenge on my brother, and this town. I looked at the torch that had the same deathly mocking glow it had one hundred and forty-five years earlier. And I had the same feeling I had when they dragged her limp body away. I remembered it so well. They had placed a chastity belt on her mouth and started dragging her away. I ran into the room to protest but my damn father shoved me against the wall.

"Do you know what they'll do to you, if you are branded a sympathizer?" I wasn't listening; I was trying to get out of his grasp to save the one I loved. "You'll be killed along with them!"

"Then let me be killed!" I had said. I would rather die then to see Katherine waste away, or worse, be staked in the heart. There would be nothing else to live for. Stefan lied to me. He was my brother and my best friend, and he turned his back on me. And for that, the one and only person I ever loved was being dragged to hell.

But not for long.

**Days to write, seconds to review.**


	8. Fool Me Once

**A/N - I'll try to keep this short. Fool me once was the most amazing episode, and I'm sure everyone had a different opinion about what Damon was thinking, but this is how I saw it. I love Damon and felt so bad for him when Katherine betrayed him like that. And now, we have to wait for six weeks until the next episode comes out... *sigh* Note at the bottom. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything but the thoughts, but don't remind me.  
**

I had spent the past 24 hours reading through countless spells in order to find one in particular. But I would have spent another year looking through more if it meant I would be getting Katherine back. I ignored another one of Stefan's pointless annoying calls. All probably saying the same thing "Damon, I need your help, call me back!" But I was through helping people. The only person I was about to help was Katherine, and me. But that didn't stop Stefan from barging in on my reading to tell me yet again "Anna took Elena!"

"Yeah I got that from your six hundred voice mails." I said without looking up.

"Damon all night long, every single street in town I've been searching. What if your blood hasn't passed out of her system?"

"Well then at least you know you'll see her again." I said, but didn't really mean it. I wouldn't have changed her, and kinnda hoped Anna wouldn't either. She was too perfect the way she was, not that I cared about her or anything.

"Please, what do you know? You were with Anna you must know where she is living. Just tell me so I can find her." Oh so now we lowered ourselves to groveling. I pretended to think for a second.

"Nope." I went back to reading. "You can go. Really." I fake smiled, Stefan sighed.

"You know, all I can remember is hating you," I pretended to look hurt as I prepared for this speech. "There might have been a time where that was different but your choices have erased anything good about you." I pretended that it didn't hurt hearing him say that. "I also know that you have just enough reason to hate me. This all began with me. Katherine was taken away from you, because of me." That, I wasn't prepared to hear him say. "And I'm sorry." Even though I had no reason to trust him, I knew that at least part of him wasn't lying, because he needed my help. And when it came to Elena, Stefan would do anything.

"Apology excepted." I breathed.

"So please, just tell me what you know." I closed the grimoire. "Its Elena, Damon if you know something, tell me." He thought he got me with _Its Elena, _but I knew better. That backstabber was not receiving any of my help. I groaned and stood up, Stefan followed.

"I mean this sincerely." He nodded, as if expecting me to tell him useful information. "I hope Elena…dies." And with that image planted firmly in Stefan's brain, I walked away.

* * *

If anyone was going to get the witch, it was going to be me. Anna needed her mother out of that tomb just as bad as I needed Katherine. I had the grimoire, she had Bonnie.

I waited next to the grill, where I saw Anna talking to Elena's little brother. That confused me a little, why would Anna want Jeremy Gilbert, if she had Elena? But before I could care, Anna was alone, and waiting for a Salvatore. I appeared next to her on the bench. "You got a hot date? Or are you just planning on nabbing the entire Gilbert family?" not that there were many of them left.

"Party. Right next to the old cemetery." Anna said. "Isn't that nice of them? Lots of warm bodies for starving vampires." She was implying that I had agreed to work with her.

"I told you. I work alone."

"So do I," Yeah, except for that Ben guy and the one Stefan staked, oh and Logan Fell. Other then that yeah, she works alone. "But you're minus a witch and I'm minus a spell book. So what do you say?" My eyes narrowed.

"Stefan will come after you, you know that." I told her, but she already knew. "For messing with Elena."

"Then he wont be to happy when I kill her, when I don't get what I want." Anna got up and started walking away. Not only was she walking away with the Bonnie, who I needed to get Katherine back, she was also walking away with the life of Elena, and as much as I really didn't like her right now, I wouldn't be very happy, if she died.

"When do you wanna do this?" I sighed in defeat. And I never got defeated. She stopped and turned around, smiling.

"God, it's like 1864 all over again." I waited for her to stop mocking me. "You Salvatore's are truly pathetic when it comes to women." I wasn't sure if she was talking about Katherine or Elena. "Tonight. After sundown, we hit the church." Then she left me sitting alone, on the bench, figuring out my next move.

* * *

I had the grimoire. I knew what to do. I only needed one more thing, and then it was time to get Katherine back.

I grabbed my leather jacket from the chair and turned to leave, when I heard someone come into the room. I turned and saw Elena. To be honest, it hurt a little bit, her showing up here. This was the girl who had led me to believe her, the first person I had really trusted in a long time. She had been so different then Stefan had been. And by the look of her face, she wanted to talk. She started to take of her scarf like she was going to get comfortable, but I wasn't gonna stick around and listen to whatever she had to say for long, I had a girl of my own who was waiting for me. I grabbed the grimoire.

"I'm gonna have to change the locks." I said. "Did you stage a jail break?"

"Stefan." Nuff' said.

"Ahh brother." I leaned against the table and strummed my fingers against the wood. "Ever the white knight." I waited for her to continue, but she just kind of stood there looking at me, her gaze burning a hole in my face.

"I convinced Bonnie to help you."

"I doubt that." I stood my ground. She started to walk toward the banister.

"I'm not going to say that I'm sorry that we got the grimoire without you last night because, I'm not really."

"Well, at least you're honest." I hid my disappointment with a very forced smile.

"I was protecting the people I love Damon." She came closer to me, one step at a time. "And so were you, in your own twisted way and as hard as it is to figure, we're all on the same side, after the same thing." Before she could have me even listen to her plan, I said "Not interested." And turned away.

"Yes you are because you were willing to work with us yesterday!" She sounded desperate to stop me, I turned around.

"Fool me once, shame on you." I threw her an angry look before I started walking away again.

"Okay, when we were in Atlanta, why didn't you use your compulsion on me?" She stood there extremely challengingly. I did a full 180 and started walking towards her, but stopping at a safe distance and raising my eyebrows.

"Who's to say I didn't?" I half smiled for a second. I hadn't. But she wasn't so sure about that.

"You didn't." She eventually decided. My arms crossed my chest and I looked at her as if saying, _you sure?_

"I know you didn't. But you could have." She started walking towards me again, never looking away from my eyes. Elena seemed sure this time, but now I wasn't. My eyebrows came together in an instant. What game was she playing? "You and I, we have something." I felt a lump emerge in my throat as I avoided her eyes. "An understanding." Never in a million years would I think to hear Elena Gilbert say those words. "And I know that my betrayal hurt you, different then how it is with you and Stefan. But, I'm promising you this now, I will help you get Katherine back." I rolled my eyes as well as my head backwards and groaned.

"I wish I could believe you." Then, Elena reached for the clasp of her vervain necklace and pulled it off. She held it in front of her face and looked at me completely seriously.

"Ask me if I'm lying now." And she slammed it on the table. I thought she was joking. The things I had thought of asking when that necklace was off. I tilted my head forward and thought about compelling her. Asking if this whole thing was real, getting answers about Stefan, but the real question that was floating around my head, was how she _really_ felt about me. I took a couple of steps forward.

"You know this wont stop by the way, no matter what I do." I was less then a foot away from her face now. Her breathing started to get uneven; she was either scared or anxious, but I liked it either way.

"Then we'll deal with it." She was a strong girl. She did like to get that out there, she was no Katherine. What I was craving right then, was to kiss her. I had a feeling – or a hope – she wouldn't protest, but then Stefan came to mind and instead, I reached for her necklace. I looked down at it and knew that I was blowing my chance to know everything, but the place where my heart used to be made me wrap my arms around her warm, soft neck, and reattach the necklace.

"I didn't compel you in Atlanta because we were having fun." I made my hands linger on her for an extra second or two; they probably would never be that close to her again. I saw what I thought was a faint smile on her lips as I gently unwrapped my arms. "I wanted it to be real." I avoided her eyes as I told her "I'm trusting you. Don't make me regret it." And with that last moment of Damon and Elena, I walked out of the room and thought about embracing Damon and Katherine, but now for some reason, it didn't seem as appealing.

* * *

Once we were down in the tomb, I started thinking about how real this was about to become. Seeing Katherine again, holding her again. Her wanting me again. Except this time, Stefan had his own muse, so it was only me now.

Sheila lit the torches on fire and started pouring tap water onto the ground. I suddenly remembered the O positive in my jacket pocket. And Stefan sure smelt it because he shinned the flashlight in my face and asked "what's that?"

"It's for Katherine. Gotta have something to get her going. Unless your girl is offering up a vain?" I smiled, he didn't. He obviously was nervous about this. Whether it was having Katherine back into our lives, or having Elena here I didn't know. But I did feel the sudden urge to be witty and lighten up the mood. This crypt was freaky enough. "Admit it." I whispered leaning close to his face. "You can't wait to get rid of me." I half smiled and Stefan laughed a little bit, giving me some satisfaction.

"I can't wait to get rid of you." He said. I knew it all along, but at the same time, I remembered him almost crying when I was about to go off to war, and that made me a little nostalgic, realizing how much our lives have changed.

"We're ready." Bonnie looked at Elena, worried. Sheila and her grabbed hands and started chanting some weird witchy spell.

"What do you think they're saying?" I asked Stefan. He had taken a semester of the occult in college once.

"Sounds Latin." He said.

"I don't think its Latin." Elena threw in. But then, the torches sprung to life as the fire on them grew significantly in size and heat. "What's happening?" Elena grabbed onto Stefan. I heard stone being ground together as the witches finished the spell, and the door creaked open. Now I was fully aware of my heart, because it started aching knowing that getting to Katherine was no longer an impossible want.

But I didn't let the excitement get the best of me, I looked at Stefan calmly. "Don't you have some fires to build?" he nodded and climbed up the stairs to get the gasoline. The witches looked very intense, and I knew that they had something up their sleeves. But my guard was not going down. Now was my chance, before my brother came back. I looked at Bonnie and Sheila suspiciously. "You ready?" I asked Elena.

"What?"

"You think I'm going to go in there by myself so you can seal me in?" I grabbed Elena and pulled her towards me. Mainly, I was looking at Sheila now. I didn't trust witches, especially the ones that try to fry my brain from the inside out.

"Don't take her in!" She stepped forward. "I'll bring the walls down."

"You'll bring the walls down if I don't you think I trust you?"

"As much as I trust you?"

"Enough, both of you." Elena stepped in. "Look he needs leverage. He needs to know that you're not going to shut the door when he gets inside. I get it, I'll go." She looked at me, but I didn't meet her eyes. I had looked at them enough for a lifetime, and now, it was Katherine's turn. I grabbed the torch from the floor and then looked at Elena one last time, before walking into the tomb to meet Katherine.

We walked in silence. She knew she didn't need to say anything, I wouldn't be listening anyways. I would be listening to the whispers of the dead, trying to pick out the one that sounded like Katherine. But there was more then one reason Elena was here with me, the vampires would love the smell of her blood, it would make them whisper even more. She started breathing hard, "What is that?" She asked when she finally picked up on the faint voices.

"They can sense you. Now, where is she?" I ran ahead to keep my senses from being dulled. Elena's breathing and blood were distracting me, and to get Katherine back, I needed no distractions. I searched every face, every body. More then once. I listened to hear her voice, she would sense that I was there for her, not Stefan; she would be mine for eternity.

I must have gone around to everyone at least four times. I saw Pearl, I saw the old Mystic Falls priest, I saw everyone but who I was looking for. I put one of the old men down and kicked him a few times, frustrated. "She's' not here." I said to no one. Someone came up to me but I didn't care who it was. "She's not here." I said again. Panting with rage. I looked around the room again, praying that I missed someone. I went through the event of the last few years in my head again. Searching everywhere for clues as to how to open the tomb, killing anyone in my way, the crystal, the grimoire, the tomb. It all didn't make any damn sense!

"What?" Stefan said. I took out the blood in my jacket.

"She's not here!" I yelled with rage as I threw with all my strength the blood at the cold, stone wall. I paced, and ran my fingers threw my hair.

"Damon we need to get outta here." Stefan's mouth was moving but I didn't hear the words that came out.

"It doesn't make sense they locked her inside." I looked at the people against the wall, talking to myself in denial.

"If we don't leave now, we're not getting out!"

"How could she not be in here?" I asked myself again. But Stefan kept pushing me.

"It's not worth spending all of eternity down here! It's not worth it!" He tried to get me to come with him but I yelled in protest.

"Damon!" I heard Katherine's voice calling my name. And I felt relief. But it wasn't Katherine. It was Elena, but unlike so many other times I had looked at Elena, I didn't see Katherine. For once in my pitiful life, the truth was starring me in the face. The similarities were inevitable, but Katherine wasn't there. She was never there. "Please." Elena begged. I looked at her with empty eyes. If I walked out of here, it was official. She would be gone. So I did. Pulling my jacket back on, I followed the white light back to reality.

They pushed me to get out of there as fast as we could. I saw Elena and Stefan in a heartfelt embrace. I would never have that. And now, walking back up into the graveyard and into the moonlight, I knew for sure. There were no more cheats or loopholes into getting what I wanted.

As I looked down into the crypt, I heard footsteps coming towards me. My head rolled over and I saw Elena. I didn't know what she was going to do, nor did I care. She could have slapped me across the face for bringing her in there, or she could have staked me. But she did neither. She wrapped her arms around me and gave me a hug.

I didn't hug back, but I didn't push her away. I just stood there. As she embraced me like no one ever had. Not even Katherine.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. Katherine was gone, but Elena…she was here. And she always would be. She wasn't selfish or two-faced or spoiled, that's what made her so different from Katherine. They might have had the same color hair and the same soft, beautiful features on their faces, but they weren't the same. Elena would never have done this to Stefan, Elena would never have hurt him the way Katherine just hurt me. I thought I had done this all for Katherine, but that's what made me realize that she wasn't the one I really wanted anymore.

* * *

I waited in Anna's room in the dark. If anyone knew where Katherine had gone, her mother would. The door opened and Anna turned on the light, revealing herself and Pearl. They just looked at me. They knew why I was here, but they didn't say anything.

"You knew Katherine wasn't in there." It wasn't a question, but it was directed at Anna.

"You wouldn't have helped me." She avoided my blood thirsty eyes. I ran up to Pearl and grabbed her by the neck; being stuck in the tomb for 145 years would have made her as weak as anyone. Anna yelled in protest, but even if she was as strong as me now, my rage would be able to overpower her.

"Why do you get a happy ending?" I asked, my grip tightening with every spat word.

"Damon please! You wouldn't have helped me you know you wouldn't have!"

"Why do you I get it and I don't!?"

"The guard," Pearl said. "The one at the church, the one who locked us in, she had promised to turn him. He was obsessed with her!" my grip tightened as I listened to the familiar words that came out next. "She had him under her spell. Like everybody else. He let her go!" My eyes became weaker and so did my grip. I let her fall to the ground. She's alive. Why didn't she come back to me? She knew I would have taken care of her in a heartbeat.

Anna held her mother in her arms when she looked at me. "Last I saw her, was Chicago, 1983." 1983? I didn't want to hear the next thing that came out of Anna's mouth. "She knew where you were Damon." No. "She didn't care." Anna mumbled an apology. But nothing could have made me feel better. I had spent eternity looking for her, looking for ways to save her. Sacrificing anything I ever cared about for her. Stefan. I had ruined our relationship for her. And she didn't care. I stumbled towards the door and looked back at my past, and didn't know how to look at the future.

* * *

"How's Damon? Is he going to be ok?" I heard Elena ask Stefan from the other side of the phone. Of course she would be asking about me. No one else would but her.

"I don't know." Stefan sighed. Don't feel sorry for me little brother. I don't deserve it. "Can I call you later?" Elena agreed and they hung up the phone. Katherine had done this; she had ripped everything ever worth wile up. Now, she was somewhere in the world with some sad human being kept under her spell. Just like I had been. And when she gets bored, she'll dumb them like she dumped everyone else.

I starred at the fire, thinking I should jump in and turn to aches, but I didn't have the strength the move. Stefan sat down on the leather chair next to me, but didn't say a word. But I could tell we had made an unspoken peace. He was my brother, and as much as I hated admitting it, I loved him. Now, whether I would tell this to him any time soon was not very likely.

Elena had been right all along, about everything. And for the first time in my life, I didn't have another move. For the first time in my life, I had no idea what to do next.

**You read Damon's thoughts, but let me read yours! What did you think about this episode and this Chapter? What are your predictions about whats going to happen? Review!**


	9. Let the Right One In

**A/N: Thank god this show is back. I was going CRAZY waiting for March 25th. And i know i know, it took a while for me to update and i'm sorry. But for some reason, "a few good men" and "there goes the neighborhood" didnt seem to really inspire me. But this one definatly did. one thing that totally sucks though, is that there were SO MANY GOOD SCENES I DIDNT KNOW WHICH ONES TO CHOOSE! im sorry if i left out your favorite. But these are some of mine. Enjoy!  
**

It was the fifth or maybe sixth time I had called Elena. And yet…she still ignored me. But it didn't matter anyways. I was already outside her house. The calling was just a non-rude way to get her attention. But of course, she likes to do things the hard way.

I knocked on the door hard. It was pretty much pouring rain and I didn't like getting my jacket dirty. And if Stefan wasn't here, then we had a problem.

Elena opened the door, but I didn't need to wait for her to invite me in. I gave her a dirty look as I passed her.

"You're ignoring me." I said looking around her living room and keeping my nose and ears open for any smells or sounds of my brother. She said something probably obnoxious, but I ignored it. "Is Stefan here?"

"No." she suddenly looked a little worried. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"He went out in the wood and didn't come back. I can't get him on his phone so I figured he was here with you." Elena put her phone up to her ear and I heard Stefan's voice mail on the other end. I could have recited it myself from all the times I had called him today and it went unanswered.

"It's going straight to voicemail." Elena looked really concerned now. "Where could he be?" But I think she already knew. I looked at her with serious eyes.

"Your not gonna like what I'm thinking."

* * *

"Pearl!" I knocked hard on the farmhouse door again. "Open this door or I swear to got ill break in and rip your head off!" Even though I hadn't been invited in, my rage was on the boiling point where I felt like I had all the strength to defy the rules of vampires and just waltz right in. But to my surprise, the door cracked open and revealed not Pearl, but the dude that attacked us last night.

"Pearls not home." He whispered. I starred at him with pure disgust and loathing. To make things worse, he stuck his head out the door to taunt me. "Beautiful weather we're having. Not a ray of sun in the sky." I was done with all this small talk.

"Where's my brother?" I asked the worm, who slithered back into his house like a coward. He called his friends name and a group of vamps that I slightly recognized appeared. And with my brother limp on their shoulders. Stefan looked up at me briefly, and I saw the pleading and the torture in his eyes.

"You are dead!" I yelled and I launched myself at the door, but getting stopped by the damn law of physics.

"I'm sorry, you haven't been invited in." I looked at the door frame, praying for some higher power to just let me in the god damn door. "Ms. Gibbins." An old women suddenly approached the door, and by the smell of her, she was the human who lived here. "Never let this bad man in." The women looked at me, the dreamy look of compulsion still lingering in her eyes.

"I'll never let him in." She said, Stefan groaned behind them.

"145 year left starving in a tomb thanks to Katherine's infatuation with you and your brother. The first few weeks, every nerve you have in your body screams with fire, the kind of pain that could drive a person mad. Well, I thought your brother would want to get a taste of that before I killed him." And with that, they stabbed another steak in Stefan, and he went down. "You have a nice day."

I started towards the car in the pouring rain. My steps were hard and the urge I felt to rip that ass hole Fredrick to pieces was inevitable. They had my brother. _My _brother. The only one who could torture him…was me. And okay, Katherine getting captured was his fault, but everyone else in the tomb? I don't think so.

As I got closer to the car, I saw Elena getting out with her umbrella. I sighed, I'm sure she was hoping for Stefan to be with me. I stopped halfway and she put the umbrella over both of our heads.

"What happened? Where is he?"

"They have him I can't get in." I said it fast. I knew she would freak out, but I didn't know what to tell her.

"Why not?" I could here the stress in her voice as I'm sure tears where forming in her eyes.

"The woman who owns the house is compelled to not let me in." Elena's eyes darted everywhere, which is what they usually did when she was nervous. She took a deep breath.

"I can get in." She started walking but I stopped her, shaking my head.

"You're not going in there."

"I'm going!" she tried to shake my hands from her arms, but I wouldn't budge.

"You're not going in there!" I said again. Her eyes were pleading and normally, I wouldn't have stopped her when she was pleading like that, but I knew if she even took a step in there, she wouldn't come back out.

"Why are they doing this?" she asked. "What do they want with him?"

"Revenge. They want revenge." I starred at her and I could almost see her brain freaking out and attempting to get a plan together.

"We've got to do something."

"I know." I looked back at the house to make sure no one was following me.

"We can't let them hurt him we've got to get him out of there!"

"Elena…" I held her face in my hands gently. Normally, she wouldn't allow this, but I think right now, she needed to make an exception. "I know. But I don't know how to get him out." My hair was sopping wet and my clothes were ruined, but standing under that umbrella with Elena made me realize what Stefan had meant to both of us, and how much we needed to save him.

* * *

Hearing that the dick face I killed the other day was alive made me even more pissed then I usually am. But then again, his whole vampire hunting thing did give him an edge on the homicidal vampires that were currently holding my brother captive. And the whole protective ring thing just made him seem even more appealing to put his life on the line.

I stepped out in front of him, making his face turn to utter disappointment.

"Well don't you look…alive."

"You can't hurt me."

"Oh I can hurt you alright." Dick Rick took a step towards me, but before we would start anything, Elena stepped out from behind me.

"Mr. Saltzman." He looked at the fragile girl, now taking my appearance as more then just a simple hello. "We need your help." We made our way to his classroom in silence. He had only agreed to listen, not to help. But for once, I would let someone else do the talking. I don't think Rick would want anything to do with whatever I had to say.

"Stefan is in the house." Elena explained. "Damons a vampire he can't get in we need you. I would go but-"

"But your life is valuable." I'm sure that's not exactly how she was going to put it, but with her boyfriend inside the house, I'm sure Stefan would have said the exact same thing. "Yours on the other hand-"

"Stefan told me about your ring." Elena cut me off before I could do any more damage. Probably a smart move.

"What about it?"

"Let me recap," I couldn't contain myself. Sitting on the window sill for too long didn't go over well with my body. "You tried to kill me, I defended myself, and you died. And according to my brother, your ring brought you back to life." I scoffed. "Am I, am I leaving anything out?" I pretended to think.

"Yeah, the part where I try to kill you again only this time I don't miss?" He got up from his chair. I was ready to go for round two, but Elena cut me off again.

"Mr. Saltzman please, its _Stefan._" Of course that's what got him to think.

"I'm sorry Elena, it's not my problem." Alaric started to make his way back to his desk. But I wasn't going down without a fight.

"Well that's a shame because," I got up from the window sill. "The women in charge of the crowd could help you find your wife." Not only did this get Ricks attention, it also sparked amusement in Elena, who turned and looked at me. The look in her eyes was a little angry considering I didn't tell her before hand.

"You're lying." He challenged.

"Am I?" I walked till I was next to Elena. "Why don't you ask her yourself?" Alaric sighed. "Coward." I told Elena we should go, but I knew in a matter of seconds, Saltzman would say,

"Alright, wait." We turned around. "I'll go."

Alaric had drawers and drawers filled with steaks and knives and…pretty much anything that will get you arrested in a second. But I had to admit to myself, this stuff was pretty good. "Teacher by day, vampire hunter by night."

"I have you to thank for that."

"What are these?" Elena put her hands on these like…dart things. But from the smell of them, they were filled with vervain. Those would defiantly come in handy.

"Tranquilizer darts…filled with vervain." Mr. Teacher proved me right yet again.

"Just get me in I'll get Stefan out."

"That's your plan? You're just gonna take them all on yourself?" She seemed unsure that I could do it. Cute.

"Well I think ill be a little stealthier then that." Elena grabbed one of the tranq's and Saltzman for once did something right by asking her

"What are you doing?"

"I'm coming with you guys." Ha! Good one Elena. Rick and I both shook our heads.

"No, no, no, no. No way." I smiled thinking about her naïve thoughts. The fact that she had even the slightest image of surviving if she went in that house was just a further sign that she wasn't going in there.

"You need me," Elena looked at Alaric for support. "I'll get in; you can distract them and ill get Stefan out." It sounds so much less dangerous when she says it.

"You'll get yourself killed your not going in there." I said. My final word on the subject, but like always, Elena kept pushing.

"I'm going."

"So when you get me in," I ignored her and looked at Alaric. "Get out as quickly as you can. I can sneak around so that they don't here me; you'll basically just…be in the way." I forgot, I didn't have to pretend to be nice. Surprisingly, teacher guy didn't have a problem with that.

"Damon now is not that time to be the lone ranger." Elena said, speaking up yet again for a lost cause.

"Fine Elena, you can…drive the getaway car hm?" I threw the dog a bone and have her a really fake and irritated smile. "You're not going in that house."

"You can't stop me. It's Stefan we're talking about here. You don't understand." She just kept pushing me.

"Oh I understand," I rolled my eyes. "I understand. He's the reason you live, his love lifts you up where you belong." She looked really pissed at me now. Like she was ready to just punch me in the face. "I get it." I don't think she would ever really know that Stefan would _kill _me if I let her in that house. And I would not be stupid enough to do that. She didn't understand that I was saving her life.

"Can you not joke around for two seconds?"

"I can't protect you in there Elena!" I said through clenched teeth. "I don't know how many vampires there are in there, that's how long it takes to get your head ripped off." My voice was hard and demanding. We were not going to have this discussion again. "I need to be able to get in, and get out. I can't be distracted with your safety. Or, this will end in a blood bath, that _none_ of his walk away from. Including Stefan." She had tears in her eyes from my harsh words. I softened up a bit. "I know. I get it." And for once, I think she believed me. "Understand?" She didn't have to say anything for me to know that she did.

* * *

I waited at the back door of the farm house. Alaric better be able to pull this off, or we were in a shit load of trouble. I held my breath when the back door opened, but thankfully, it was Saltzman and the owner of the house. Ms. Gibbins looked at me, obviously scared.

"Oh I'm sorry, he's not aloud in the house."

"Yeah I know but your gonna need to make an exception-"

"Get her out of the house _now._" I demanded, tired of all this bull shit. I looked the old women in the eyes as she looked around confused. "Ms. Gibbins, now tell me the truth, are you married? Parents? Children? Anyone else live on this property?"

"No it's just me." I smiled at her answer and then cracked her neck and watched her body fall to the floor. I stepped inside the house, proud of my work and didn't have that helpless feeling that I usually have when I can't get inside somewhere. But of course, Alaric was there to rain on my parade.

"You were supposed to compel her!" His hand blocked me from walking any further.

"It doesn't work that way!" I whispered fiercely. I needed to get to my brother, and if I didn't need someone to get rid of the body, I would have snapped his neck right there too.

"She's human!" he said.

"And I'm not, so I don't care! Now get outta here. And get rid of the body!" I pushed him out the door and as quiet as I could be, I made my way through the halls. Now the only problem is sniffing out my brother.

There was a parade of deush bags sitting in the living room playing pool. God it would suck to have to stay inside all day. I looked down at my ring thankfully. Everywhere I went a vamp would be right around the corner, this was going to be harder then I thought.

I had dragged the body Rick so nicely staked and threw it in a closet under a lot of coats and other body parts. These guys were messy eaters. When I heard someone coming near the door I was behind, I got ready to jump out. I heard him step to turn off the water when I kicked the door open and covered his mouth while I staked him. Looking down at my work happily, I continued through the house. My first priority was Stefan, but if I was to kill a few of these bastards too, then this mission would be so much more satisfying.

Making it down the stairs was the hard part, I figured there would be so many more vampires downstairs watching Stefan, but it turns out I was wrong. There was just one ass hole sitting listening to some old fashioned shit on his ipod.

He got up at one point and started walking towards where I was, but something got him to stop, at first I thought I was me, but then I heard a gasp of a girl and knew…Elena. That brave girl. That _stupid_ brave girl. The vampire started walking again at a faster pace when I cut him off with a vervain dart. I turned to look at Elena.

"Are you insane?!" but she just looked at me. She didn't say anything, but I knew she was grateful. I rolled my eyes at her stupidity and then we both turned towards the door that we both knew Stefan was behind.

I was hesitant, incase there was someone else, but Elena opened the door before I could stop her and ran into the room. I heard Stefan utter her name. He was alive and I let out a breath of relief, but neither of them would ever know that. I walked in after her.

"You shouldn't be here." Stefan murmured. He would probably be mad that she had come, but I would explain later.

"She was supposed to stay in the car." I said simply. There was another vampire in the room, but he had two stakes in his legs, enabling him to move. Thank god. This would be easy. Before I could though, I heard Stefan whisper in protest.

"Whatever." I said. I was having such a _bad day. _"Let's get you down." As I went to untie the ropes that Stefan was hanging by, he croaked "There's vervain, on the ropes."

"Elena," I motioned for her with my thumb. "Pull that." The rope loosened and I caught Stefan before he hit the work shelf, which would have made a hell of a lot of noise. "Let's go. Put your clothes on." It was kinnda painful to hear Stefan breath so choppy. Unless I was the one who was making him breathe like that which, in this case, I wasn't.

"Wait!" Stefan said with a little more force.

"Guys common we have to get outta here!" I looked towards the hallway. Out of the corner of my eyes, Stefan – of course – was helping the guy I almost staked in the chair. I rolled my eyes again. Why did he have such a large moral compass?

Elena held onto Stefan and we made our way to the hallway.

"Can you get him to the car?" I asked Elena.

"Yeah. What about you?" She asked, though I doubt she was even remotely curious. Her whole world was Stefan.

"You rescue, ill distract." Though he didn't speak up, I think Stefan knew that was code for, _I'm about to annihilate those sons of a bitches._ But for once, I don't think my psychopathic mind bothered him one bit.

* * *

Finally, the clouds had cleared, and the day was done. I had been kicked, staked, punched by a number of different people, and yelled at. And on some occasions, I would call this a good day.

But as I made my way up to my room, I heard someone else there. I thought it would be maybe Alaric, to finish what he had started, but after a few steps, I realized it was Stefan.

Normally, I would have thrown in a one liner about him needing to thank me, but as I walked, I couldn't think of anything cleaver to say. I was just ready for whatever he was gonna say, whether it was thanks, or a scolding for getting Elena into this. Turns out, he didn't say anything. I climbed the last step and then smelt something. Blood. I walked towards the middle of the room, seeing a number of blood bags on my way. From the smell of it, it was my soccer mom I was saving for dinner. Turns out though, I wouldn't be having dinner.

Stefan turned to face me. His face wasn't happy he was alive, in fact, it looked miserable that he wasn't dead. My eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, but his face said it all. Though no words were spoken, I knew what happened.

His eyes dug through mine as they seemed to be saying _Help me._

**So what did you think? comment please! cant wait for this week =) Only 5 episodes left though!**_  
_


	10. Under Control

**A/N: I know that its been a while and I know I am an awful person to let such good episodes pass by without writing them but let me assure you, I am currently writing Isobel as we speak and Founders Day will be not far behind. I just wanna make sure I write them right. Oh, and how bout that Season finale?**

**Thank you (once again) to Zoe because without her help, i would have miss spelled every word in this story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Damon or Elena or Stefan or anyone on this amazing show/book. If I did, I would write myself in to get married to Damon =)  
**

It was the most unusual thing to happen in a very long time. But Elena had called me. _Me. _She wasn't drunk dialing, nor was she trying to reach Stefan. I picked up the phone and she had asked _me _to come over. And of course, being the gentlemen that I am, I decided I would do her the honor.

When she opened the door and saw me, she seemed really relieved and I was really curious as to why. I mean, she had Stefan, her knight in shinning armor, why did she need me? Well maybe she was ready to confess her deep passionate love for me. Or not.

"Oh good, you're here."

"You ask I come. I'm easy like that." I walked in without being invited and smiled at her. But she was in no mood for jokes apparently. She put her finger to her lips and motioned to her brother who was sitting in the kitchen eating some cereal. Elena then made her way up the stairs, expecting me to follow. But I smiled to myself. Her bedroom.

"No Elena I will not…go to your bedroom with you!" I laughed, but she just pulled me by the arm up the stairs. I probably got her no dessert for a week with Aunt Jenna.

I beat her up the stairs and opened to door to her room. I took a good long look, seeing as I probably wouldn't get to enjoy this again anytime soon.

"Ah, just how I remember it." She rolled her eyes at my comment.

"Stop messing around." But it wasn't funny to me because I was serious. I had been in this room before. I had come when I knew she was sleeping. Not to be a creeper or anything, but to make sure she was alright. And maybe to see if I would catch her changing.

I grabbed her teddy bear on her bed and lay down. I hoped that this wouldn't be the last time I was ever on her bed.

"You know, did you know that your uncle has been kicking it with the founder's council?" I said, but this seemed like news to Elena.

"What?" she looked really surprised.

"Yep."

"Perfect!" She said sarcastically. But I wasn't paying attention about what she said next. I was starring at the wall where apparently something broke and there was a dent in the wall. My eyes narrowed.

"What happened there?" I asked her.

"Nothing." She looked embarrassed. But she knew I wasn't buying it so she started with her story. "Look Damon, I'm worried about Stefan. He says he's ok but he's clearly struggling." I nodded, knowing the feeling. "How long is it gonna take before he's back to normal?"

"A few days, give or take." She wasn't convinced.

"It's been a few days."

"Give then. What's the big deal?" I go up from her bed and handed her her teddy bear. I made my way to her dresser.

"He's not himself Damon!" I looked at the top of her dresser where she had diaries stacked high. But it wasn't what was on the drawers that brought me over there.  
"Maybe it's because he's spent too long _not _being himself." I opened up the top one where I saw all of these cute bras only Elena would wear. I bet even Stefan hadn't been in here. It all made me smile. She grabbed one of the stripped bras from my hands.

"Please don't make me sorry for asking you."

"It is what it is Elena." I glanced at myself in the mirror before taking one of the pictures hanging on the frame. It was of her and her fake parents. She tried to reach over me to take it, but I was intrigued. How was it that she could go so long without knowing that they weren't her real parents? But I knew she didn't want to talk about that right now. She wanted to talk about her beloved.

"The Stefan you know is good behavior Stefan." I turned and faced her; she seemed interested in what I was going to say. "Reign-it-in Stefan, fight-against-his-nature-to-an-annoyingly-obsessive-level…Stefan." I rolled my eyes. He made all the rest of us look so bad. Elena crossed her arms over her chest and looked at me with curiosity in her eyes. I knew she couldn't believe that the Stefan she knew was this guy.

"If you don't think there's another part to this then you, have not been paying attention." She came very close to me as I sucked on the back of my teeth. Turns out, she just wanted the picture.

"He's not you." She said walking away again. "Not even close."

"Well he doesn't wanna be me." I can't see why though. My good looks, charm…I have too much to list. I looked Elena up and down, and then slowly walked towards her. "That doesn't mean deep down that he's not." I did that thing where I got so close to Elena that our body's just graze each other. And her eyes get really big and nervous at the thought of _two _Damon's. I half smiled at her reaction and then let my last sentence marinate for a second, then I walked away. No one could be me, but I was sure as hell it was scary to Elena to even have Stefan become even _remotely _close.

I needed a drink. Story of my life. I ordered one when Elena came up to me. No doubt something about Stefan.

"Have you noticed what your brother has been up to?" She took an olive from the trey.

"Nope. I've been too preoccupied with yours." I turned my body towards her and she looked at me confused.

"Jeremy has been asking questions about Vicky Donavan's death."

"He knows her death was ruled an overdose."

"Really? 'Oh but Sheriff, someone buried her, who would do that?'" I imitated Jeremy's tortured voice and emo personality. Elena was less then pleased. "I know! I know! Me!" I joked around at a probably non-joking problem. "I mean I could compel him but he's wearing vervain."

"No!" Elena freaking shit her pants. "I don't want you to compel him."

"If he keeps asking questions…" I raised my eyebrows at her.

"No Damon I'm serious. I'm not gonna do that to him again." I turned away from her as she assured me that she would "handle it." But I wasn't so sure. No matter. Tonight was all about family and fun. We would deal with the reality of vampire problems tomorrow.

"Ok." I looked at the bouquet of flowers next to me and picked out a rose. It smelled sweet, but it did have thorns. I offered it to Elena. "Don't say I didn't warn you." She took the rose as she starred into my eyes. I knew she felt like I was gonna yank it back and be like "psyche!" but I wasn't going to. I just half smiled and walked away.

Elena was like…crack. Or something like that. Only taken in small doses, but the moment your done…you always wanna go back for more.

**I know its short and im SO sorry. I just needed to get these scenes out of the way. Stay tuned for Isobel and Founders Day coming soon. Plus, i do have the rest of the summer to write the ENTIRE first season.**


	11. Isobel

**A/N: I told you i'd put it up soon =) I'm actually really proud of this chapter and i hope you guys are too. Heres the plan: write Founders day, send it to my editor zozo42 (shes a huge Bamon fan, but ill let it slide) then have it up by next Wednesday at the latest. sound good? Enjoy Isobels bitchiness and Damon's epicness.**

**~Ariel  
**

**Disclaimer: I dont own The Vampire Diaries tv show or book. If i did...i would be substituted for Elena and I would choose Damon. And everyone would hate me.  
**

Elena calling me became sort of a nonchalant affair after our pretty tense run in with Stefan's dark side. But she wasn't calling to check up on me like I had hoped. In fact, she seemed rather distressed herself. Though I was used to this, it didn't stop me from rushing to see her when she needed me.

I walked into the classroom where Elena, Stefan, and Rick were all tense and waiting for me. "Damon thanks for coming."

"Sorry I'm late. Dog ate my uh…." I saw the room was in no state for my laugh out loud sense of humor. "Never mind." I smiled and looked at Elena. She was sitting at a desk starring into space. She didn't meet my eyes as she usually would. Stefan looked at me too. Not that he ever really smiles, but I could tell we had a problem.

"What's with all the furrowed brows?" I asked. The teacher spoke first.

"I saw Isobel last night." My eye brows raised in surprise.

"Isobel is here?" Al nodded. "In town?" He nodded again. I looked at Elena, whose eyes were going back and forth between me and Alaric as if begging us to tell her what she should do. This was her bitch mother who betrayed her; I bet it stung to hear that she was now looking for her. I knew the feeling.

I walked towards the window and looked out it at all the little kiddies planning their floats for the big celebration. They were lucky not having to be bothered by all the problems of reality. I turned around to face everyone.

"How do you know? Did you talk to her?"

First John, now her…something was up.

"She approached me in the bar." Rick said.

"Did you ask about Uncle John? Are they working together?"

"No."

"No their not?" I walked towards Rick.

"No I didn't ask."

"What about the invention?" I took another step forward.

"Didn't ask."

"Does she know about the tomb vampires?" Rick and I were face to face now.

"I don't know."

"Did words completely escape you?" I spat. This was frustrating. Did _anyone _else want the truth? Damn, I was the ass hole and yet no one else seemed to care what this girl knows and what she's doing here!

"I was a little too distracted by my dead vampire wife to ask any questions." I rolled my eyes and looked at Elena. She was still sitting at the desk completely still. My eyes shot back at Alaric.

"What did she want?" I asked him.

"She wants to see me, Damon." Elena spoke up. I looked at her again. She was so fragile, I was so used to seeing her all bad ass and ready to go, but now, she looked scared and confused. My eyes searched hers.

"Alaric is supposed to arrange a meeting." Stefan said. "We don't know why or what she wants."

"You don't have to see her if you don't want to." I was completely serious. I would rather stake Isobel then have her hurt Elena. Through the corner of my eye, I saw Stefan's gaze go back and forth between us.

"I don't really have a choice." Elena shrugged.

"She's threatening to go on a killing spree." Teacher said his voice very timid. I was ready to just let the problem go there. I sucked on my teeth. This was obviously a problem with everyone else.

"I take it that's…not ok with you guys." I smiled a little and Stefan brooded at me.

"I wanna do it." My eyes went to Elena. "I wanna meet her. If I don't, I know ill regret it." I was about to protest, but Elena seemed to have her mind made up, so I closed my mouth. If Elena wanted to meet her long lost mother, then she could. But in my head I made a silent promise that if Isobel laid one finger on Elena, it would be her last. I'm pretty sure Stefan made the same promise.

Ah strip poker. One of the best excuses to take off your clothes for something other then sex. And WAY more kinky. Waiting in Isobel's grand house with nothing to do and a hot girl near by, I mean common, what other options do I have? After a few bites I figure she earned seeing me shirtless. And hey, if I keep losing, maybe pants less too.

"Oh Cherie…you win again." I stood up, getting my belt undone. "I hope I'm wearing good underwear." I smiled and raised an eyebrow. But of course, as I'm about to get some ass, Isobel walks in.

"Tonight is just one blast from the past after another." She said as I started to re-zip my pants and rolled my eyes. She ordered Cherie to leave the room. I watched my prey stalk away and I waved a little, licking my lips.

"It's good to see you Isobel." I slipped my shirt on. "Just having fun with one of your naughty little minions." She didn't look impressed.

"How'd you find me?" I appeared in front of her…very close I could almost feel her breath.

"I searched all the neighborhood bank owned foreclosures and found the most expensive one."

"Oh I should have known. You were the one that taught me that. What are you really doing here?" She asked. I moved closer to her, inch by inch.

"You caused quite a stir. You blew into town, you saw everyone except for the man that made you a little hurt." My fingers grazed her chin.

"Oh I'm so sorry!" she brought me in for a hug, but then tugged my hair back and brought my head with it, and it hurt. "Did you bring the device?" I laughed humorlessly and she let me go.

"Ow." I rubbed the back of my head. So, she liked it rough. "What are you doing with John Gilbert?" she faced me again.

"We dated a few times when we were young. He was a little bit in love with me."

"I'm sure. One of the many." I approached her again, this time fully armed for round two. She tilted her head seductively, but it wasn't getting to me. "Now about this little invention. What do you want with it?"

"Oh me personally? I don't want anything with it." Is gave me a cup of whisky, but I put it down immediately since it was most likely spiked with vervain. I wasn't messing around (well, maybe a little bit) but her showing up here wasn't just for kicks. "I'm just doing what I'm told." I approached her again and tilted her face with my two fingers. "Damon, we're on the same side."

"Oh yeah?" I scoffed. "What side is that?"

"Katherine's." The name sent needles to my nerves. "She wants John Gilbert to have the device and I think you and I both know, she's not happy when she doesn't get what she wants." Her answer took me aback. And added a lot more to this mystery. Why would _she _care about modern day Mystic Falls? I backed off Isobel.

"Why are you doing her dirty work?" My eyes narrowed as we circled each other.

"Don't kill the messenger. We both know you can't control Katherine. She does what she wants."

"Pshh so do I!" I tried to play this off a little, but it hurt more then it showed.

"Oh really Damon? You do?" Isobel sounded doubtful, but I was prepared to show her I do what I want. She sped towards me and I caught her hands easily. We both breathed heavily as she asked "what should we do now?" Our lips were inches away from each others. We both laughed. "Oh yeah, memory serves." She said seductively and I let our lips touch. I held her waist as our tongues wrestled. For some reason though, it's not as fun as when she was human and her daughter was well…my friend? Or as close to a friend as I would ever get. She pushed me onto the couch and followed without letting our lips part from each others. She grinded onto me, but I wasn't about to forget why I had come.

Before she could even blink, I spun her around and grabbed her neck smashing it onto the floor.

"Now that I have your attention. Listen up." I came closer to her face. "You do _not _come into my town; threaten the people I care about. Going after Elena? Bad move. You leave her alone or I rip you to bits because I believe in killing the messenger. You know why?" My lips were at her ear and I whispered. "Because it sends a message."

I tightened my grip around her neck and slammed it against the floor even harder then the first time. "Katherine wants something from me? Tell that little _bitch _to come get it herself." I spat the last sentence. I looked into Isobel's eyes one last time, and then I saw that she knew that I _do _what I want.

My let go of her and sped back to the door. That's what you get for messing with Damon Salvatore. I don't think she'll be forgetting that lesson anytime soon.

Isobel and Elena standing next to each other was…needless to say, weird. I've had sex with one of them and wouldn't mind having sex with the other. I had been sure that Isobel was going to hurt Elena, but I guess after my bad ass threat, she knew she wouldn't get out of that one alive. So she went for the physiological hurting and took Jeremy.

Stefan and I were standing in silence when we heard Elena mention that she "hadn't come alone." We both walked up behind Isobel together and it took every bit of humanity in my body not to rip Isobel to shreds right there. Maybe Rick would do it for me later. Because if there was one person who I loathed as much as Katherine, at the moment, it was Isobel.

Elena called Jeremy and I was surprised to hear his voice on the other end of the phone, but he was there.

"Don't look for any redeeming qualities in me. I don't have any." Isobel said. I suppressed the urge to say _You got that right._

"But you took the risk with Damon. How did you know he would give it to me?"

"Cause he's in love with you." Isobel said it with such ease that I almost though she hadn't said it aloud. But there it was. A rising lump in my throat. Elena looked surprised and I looked at Stefan, who suddenly found the ground very interesting.

So there it was. Though I hadn't confirmed nor denied it, it was out in the open. I mean, of course I cared about her, but _love_? There has only really been one person I ever loved…and that wasn't even real. What Isobel had said…I didn't even know.

But that problem - or rather – secret would have to be dealt with another time. This was about Elena.

Isobel held out her hand and hesitantly, Elena put the device into it. "Thank you." She said, which had both Isobel and I confused.

"For what?"

"For being such a monumental disappointment. It keeps the memory of my real mother, perfectly in tact." Elena shook her head. But Isobel wasn't the least bit hurt by the comment.

"Goodbye Elena." They both looked at each other. "As long as you have a Salvatore on both arms…you're doomed." I raised an eyebrow and tried to imagine what was going through both Stefan and Elena's head. "Katherine was smart. She got out. But we all know you're not Katherine." I wanted nothing more then to destroy Isobel right there. I never should have changed her. But she was right, Elena wasn't Katherine. She wasn't spoiled or bitchy or diabolical or two faced. Elena was everything Katherine wasn't.

But Isobel turned away and her two goons went with her. I could tell Elena was on the verge of tears, and as I had the thought to step up, Stefan did first. So I didn't move. Elena and Stefan embraced each other as Elena looked over his shoulder at me. I just stared at her. I think she wanted me to come over to her and deny what Isobel said, but I couldn't.

I had gone on lying for so long that I figured…what was the point anymore? I cared about Elena and there wasn't a point to denying it. But that didn't mean I was about to admit that I had _feelings _for her. Whatever that even meant. But when she looked away and Stefan's glare took her place, I knew that right now, wasn't the time to get in the way of anything.

So I turned and walked away from the only two people in this world that actually cared about me…at least, for now.

**Days to write, seconds to review. Hate it? Love it (hope so)? Two chapters in one week, high fives all around. **


	12. Founders Day

**Finally, here is Founders Day. It took a hell of a long time, because everything I wrote I wasnt 100% sure about. But after a looooooong time of editing and re-reading, I think I really like it. Oh, and also, on my profile page, there is a poll for what episode - if anymore - you wanna read in Damon's POV. There are a few choice of episodes that i would be interested in writing, and then of course theres a "other" button. **

**Anyways...enjoy. I will miss The Vampire Diaries dearly, and now I get to re-watch it every Thursday. So make sure to watch the episode that started it all Friday Night Bites this Thursday!**

**Thank you to my kind editor: zozo42**

**Disclaimer: i dont own the vampire diaries. but i wish i owned Damon and Stefan and Elena and Bonnie...and Matt =)  
**

Oh how I love this little town and its stupid traditions. You'd think after about one hundred and fifty years that these people would have something better to celebrate besides _Founders Day. _But I guess with the same people come the same lame-ass traditions.

The marching band went down the street first, followed by Alaric's students, the "Battle of Willow Creek" float and then the Mystic court or whatever. For someone who wasn't there, Rick's kids got the float pretty accurate. Except for the smiling faces. Oh and there's the Mystic Queen herself Ms. Caroline Forbes. Enjoying her 15 minutes in the sun for once, but with Elena standing right next to her, there wasn't really any reason for Caroline to be up there. I half smiled and waved to Stefan and Elena, who both frowned when they saw my face, which just made me smile even more. Hot damn did she look like Katherine, no wonder Stefan was so eager to do this float thing.

Elena's frown turned into a smile as she seemed to be looking past me, so I turned around. Bonnie Bennett's face went from enjoyment from the parade, to sheer disappointment at seeing me.

"What do you want?" she asked her eyebrows questioning and suspicious. I don't know why though, it's not like I've done anything to her. Recently. In fact, she could probably hurt me more then I could hurt her at this point.

"Just watching the parade," I said simply. But she turned away anyways. "Where you going?"

"Away from you."

"I wanna say something to you." I said, she turned around and face me.

"Just leave me alone."

"Thank you!" I said before she could cut me off again. Her expression seemed surprised, but she wasn't about to let her guard down. "The device that Emily spelled could have killed me. I don't take what you did lightly so…thank you." For some reason, the words didn't taste as filthy coming out of my mouth as I thought they would have. I looked into her eyes as they narrowed.

"I did it for Elena."

"I know that, but I am still very grateful." Her hair was windswept across her face which made it glow beautifully. "And…I owe you." She seemed confused, but didn't want to show it. I wasn't actually gonna say this, but Bonnie Bennett did have something special about her that was very mesmerizing. I spent another quick second looking at her before I mumbled, "Enjoy the parade," and turned away.

I was enjoying a beer in Mystic Falls grill when none other then Elena Gilbert walked into the door. Her attire different, giving me a little breathe of relief. I didn't want this to be about Katherine anymore. I stepped in front of her, cutting her off.

"I like you better like this." She looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "That period look," I shuddered jokingly, "didn't suit you."

"Was that an insult?"

I smirked. Of course she would think anything that came out of my mouth is either an insult or one of the many appealing things about me. "Actually Elena it is a compliment, of the highest order." Yeah. The fact that you aren't wearing the 1860's dress just reminds me that it's _you _and not…someone else. She blushed a little and smiled, but it soon faded into seriousness.

"Look, I know Stefan is worried about our…friendship."

I laughed a little bit and looked at her with narrow eyes. "Did he mention something to you too?"

"No did he mention something to you?" She seemed surprised.

"No," I said quickly. "Nothing worth repeating," I admitted, biting my bottom lip.

"So I think you should stop with the flirty little comments and that eye thing that you do –"

"What, eye thing?" I did exactly what she was talking about and smiled. She can't stop asking me to do that, its so…_me. _And she knows she can't resist it. But she gave me the serious face again and took a deep breath.

"Don't make me regret being your friend." Her words shot at me unexpectedly. A familiar lump resurfaced in my throat. My smile faded and I thought about _not _being near her, even as a friend. I could handle the "just friends" part of everything, but not having her at all? That part was a little foreign to me. Especially since I had gotten so used to having her around. I nodded once and she moved on to her brother. I watched her leave me alone once again.

I looked around the town square for Sheriff Forbes or maybe Jenna or Rick or something. Someone other then Stefan and Elena, and maybe someone my age. But instead, I found Anna.

"Your still around?" she ignored my snide comment and pulled me away from a group of teenagers.

"There's something you need to know," she said seeming very paranoid. God, if this was a problem about Jeremy or some shit like that, I was gonna stake myself, but Anna crossed her arms and looked around us a few times. "The tomb vampires are planning an attack tonight."

"How do you know this?"

"I went to them. They think I'm with them but I'm not." She took another look around before continuing. "They want the founding families dead." My mind went immediately to Elena and Jeremy.

"When is this supposed to happen?" I asked fiercely.

"When the fireworks start." Anna was breathing hard. I sighed and looked around.

"John Gilbert wants to use that invention on them."

"Well then we can't be here!"

"It doesn't work, it's been deactivated." Anna relaxed a little bit, but not enough and I knew who she was thinking about.

"Well then a lot of people are going to die!"

"Where are they right now?" I asked in a low voice, hoping none of them were too close.

"There already here Damon." My eyebrows shot up and I knew we needed to do something. Anna and I agreed to round up people we knew (and liked) and warn them. She was going after Jeremy, and I was going for Rick. If any human could help, he could. I had gotten him on board when two familiar faces came by.

Thankfully, Elena and Stefan were just about to walk past me when I saw them. I quickly grabbed Elena's hand and the laughter of the lovebirds stopped.

"Uh." Elena was uncomfortable, but I didn't care. She needed to be safe. "What are you doing?"

"Saving your life. Fifteen words or less." My attention then turned to Stefan who now seemed interested. "Tomb vamps are here. Founding families are the target." Stefan looked around, shocked. "Get her out of here, NOW." I let go of Elena's warm hand and started through the crowd.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"That's more than fifteen words Stefan." I replied over my shoulder and then ran into the darkness.

I closed the door so the dick John Gilbert would know I was there. "Do you have any idea what you've done?" I said, getting ready to snap his neck (again).

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do." He faced the invention, but I knew it wasn't going to work so I went at him. He turned the key and I felt screeching nails pounding on my brain. I heard the screams of everyone I had ever killed and when I tried to block it out, I couldn't move. My knees dropped and I was lying on the floor. My vision was blurred and my muscles didn't work. I tried to scream but barely anything escaped my lips and even if something did, I didn't hear it. All of the sudden, I felt something crawling on me, it was cold and it stung, but then I realized that it was vervain and it just made everything a million times more painful. The piercing in my head didn't subside, but the last thing I thought of before I was no longer moving, was Stefan.

Eventually, when I came to, I found myself listening to the hideous voice of John Gilbert. My eyes cracked open and I stared at blank walls. I smelt gasoline being poured all around us, and I knew that this was going to be the end.

With the little strength I had left in my body, I turned my head to see John looking down at the limp body of Anna-bell. She was holding his ankle, which made me think if she hadn't reached for him, maybe she wouldn't get what I knew was coming.

John took out a stake from his jacket and squatted down and looked her in the eyes. She had wanted him to take pity on her because of Jeremy. She didn't realize that even some humans are as heartless as vampires.

My eyebrows knitted together as I saw her attempt to get up. I wanted to say something to help her, I felt the urge to pry the stake from John and kill him with it instead, but I was frozen. The vervain was too strong.

"No, please." Anna shook her head, pleading. I thought maybe he wouldn't do this to her, she was too young. She was a little girl who loved his nephew. If anyone should be killed, the last person it should be is her. John raised the stake above his head and struck, and Anna's final words were a plea for her life.

The fire was eating the entire basement. Almost everyone near me was dying or dead. I tried to stand up, but a plant of burning wood wouldn't let me. I wasn't ready to go like this. I was on my knees when I heard someone running down the stairs.

"Damon!" I had never been more happy to here Stefan's voice in my life (or afterlife).

"Stef." I smiled a little bit. I grabbed onto my little brother as he carried me up the stairs, through the smoke, and into the night. Elena and Bonnie were standing outside. I guess we should have been mad at Bonnie for not de-activating the device. But then also grateful she had I lifted the fire for a bit. But whatever. For now it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was what I had to do next.

I found myself at the Gilberts house. But not to see Elena. No. The person I wanted to see was probably the last person who wanted to see me. I stood at his bathroom door anyways.

"What are you doing here?" he asked trying to slow his breath when he saw me.

"Anna's dead." I'll admit, My voice quivered a little.

"I figured that once they took her away." I could tell he was on the verge of tears. We stood in silence for a little bit, but I had to get to my point.

"I know you cared about her."

"Yeah I did."

"I saw her get killed." The image of her cold body on the floor beside me flashed in my mind before I could stop it. My eyes sank to the floor. "I was watching and all I could think about was…I wanted to help her." I looked at Jeremy again. "But I couldn't."

"Why are you telling me this?" I thought for a minute. Why was I doing this? But then I remembered.

"I took away your suffering before." I took a step forward. "I can do it again." Jeremy sat on his bed and _his _eyes sank to the floor. "But it's your choice."

"Look. I know you _think_ you took it away, but its still there, even if I can't remember why." His eyes started to water and he shook his head. This kid had so many hard times in his life, he reminded me of…me. "I still feel empty, alone. And making me forget won't fix it. It won't fix what's really wrong." I walked forward again and looked into the face of a depressed little kid, but one who had a shit load of reasons to behind it all.

"What I did to Vicky…was wrong." Jeremy looked up at me. "Sorry for my part." I turned and started towards the door.

"Anna said that vampires don't have to feel pain, they can turn it off if they shut out their humanity." Jeremy was waiting for my response. I debated on whether I should confirm or deny his statement, but I had lied to this kid so much, it was time I told the truth for once.

"That's very true."

"Is it easier that way?" Jeremy looked pleading. I turned so my whole body was towards him.

"Is what easier?"

"Life."

"Life sucks either way Jeremy. At least when you're a vampire you don't have to feel bad about it if you don't want to." I wasn't sure if that was the answer he was looking for, but it was the honest one. Something I hadn't said in a long time.

"Is that what you did?" he asked me.

"I did it for…" I smirked a little bit, but not for long. "I did it for a very long time. Then, life was a lot easier." I sighed and turned away. I owed it to Jeremy to be honest for once. When I wasn't threatening him, I was lying to him. He reminded me so much of well…me, and I know I would have been better if people had been straight with me from the beginning.

I opened Elena's front door to see her standing at the stairs with her Mystic dress in hand. She stopped and seemed very surprised to see me.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as I shut the door.

"A failed and feeble attempt at doing the right thing." I went over my conversation with Jeremy in my head.

"Which was…?"

I shook my head. "It's not important. Here let me take this over here." I looked in her eyes, but didn't linger too long. I set her stuff on the bench.

"Thank you." She seemed surprised at my manners. They might not come out often, but they were there. I took a deep breath, preparing myself to admit something to the person that has been the most honest to me since I had arrived.

"You know I came to this town…wanting to destroy it but tonight I found myself wanting to protect it." I played with the ring on my finger. "How does that happen?" My mind flashed to my first day back. _I promised you an eternity of misery, I'm just keeping my word._

Elena was about to say something, but I wasn't finished yet. "I'm not a hero Elena, I don't do good. It's not in me."

"Maybe it is." She raised her eyebrows. I smiled a little bit; she has so much faith in me.

"No. No that's reserved for my brother, and you, and Bonnie. Even though she has every reason to hate me she still…helped Stefan save me."

"Why do you sound so surprised?" She folded her arms.

"Because she did it for you." I took a few steps forward. "Which means that somewhere along the way, you decided I was worth saving." I thought back to when Elena had begged for Lexi's boyfriend to spare me. Her eyes stared up at mine. "And I wanted to…thank you, for that." I swallowed a lump in my throat. She was so beautiful and I owed her so much.

"You're welcome," she said simply. I wished so bad that there was something I could do for her to pay back all the things she had done for me. If not for her, I could have been dead a long time ago. Whether it by Lexi, her boyfriend, Logan, Rick, Bonnie, Stefan…she had saved me. I leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. It was inviting and familiar.

I leaned back, but not too far. My eyes looked at hers, and then her lips. She made no move to back off, so I slowly leaned towards them. And slowly, I kissed her lightly on the lips. It was gentle at first, but she made no sighs of stopping, so my hand gently went to her neck and I held it there as we kissed again, more fiercely this time.

After what felt like one hundred years, I heard the door open and I fell back to reality. I turned away because I knew I would be getting a very angry look from Jenna.

"Hi," Elena said simply.

"It's late. You should probably come inside." Elena looked at me quickly once, and then gathered her things. I wanted to help her, but from this day on, it was safe to say I was not allowed in the Gilbert house. Jenna glared at me once before shutting the door.

I stood on the porch for another minute. I thought of the kiss again and touched my lips. I knew there was something familiar about them. That was a kiss I had experienced before…but it wasn't as special as I thought it would be. I walked off the porch and faced the world. But there was only one thing on my mind after that kiss. Katherine.

**Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews my stories! Days to write, seconds to review. Remember, Poll in my profile. PLEASE ANSWER!**


	13. The Return

**Oh the drama, the hot guys, the excitement! I missed you. I think this is the longest chapter I've ever written. I probably wont be dishing them out this fast all the time, I just seemed to wanna get back into _Damon's Head _haha =) **

**Enjoy! **

It had happened. The moment in my life where I wasn't thinking about Katherine.

The one time in Mystic Falls that I didn't have an agenda. I just _did _cause I _felt _like it was the thing to do. It may not have been the best thing to do in the situation but- oh who the hell am I kidding? She kissed me back. She couldn't hide behind Stefan anymore.

I must have looked like a damn idiot waltzing into the hospital with a very satisfied look on my face. Especially since the nurses and doctors seemed to think a guy walking into a hospital happy was probably something they didn't see very often.

But can I help it? The tomb vampires were dead and though I had a brush with _real _death myself, I couldn't bring myself to be unhappy. Or at least, whatever unhappy was to me.

The kiss with Elena on the porch had brought back some memories about Katherine, but I had quickly dismissed them and just felt contempt with what I had gotten from Elena. She knew we had chemistry, and for once in my life, the feeling in the pit of my stomach had nothing to do with Katherine. For once in my life, I had something else to look forward to.

Though Caroline had indeed just been my muse for a while, the fact that she will probably _die_, made me…_feel_ a little bit. Not sad for her, not even for Liz – someone whom I actually got along with here and didn't know my little secret – but I knew this would hurt Elena. I couldn't let that happen.

I turned the corner and there she was. The witch was telling her the news of Caroline. She seemed surprised. I just couldn't stop gawking. Even with a frown on her face and on the verge of tears, she glowed. Her hair was still curly from Founders Day, and I felt myself wanting to hug her and tell her I could help, but the witch beat me to it.

They pulled out of a hug and Elena pleaded for Bonnie to perform a spell and help her friend. Bonnie was new at the whole magic thing, and I'll give it to her she can do some pretty cool shit, but I knew healing someone took years to master. And by the look on her face, she did too.

"She doesn't know how," I intervened, making my presence in their conversation known. Taking a few steps towards then, I smirked a little bit looking at their surprised faces. "Do you?"

"No. I don't," she admitted bluntly. I gotta admit I expected her to put up a little bit of a fight.

"No. You don't. Cause it took Emily _years _to learn a spell like that."

"Yeah, well I can take down a vampire. That spell was easy to learn." A smug look was painted on her face. I hated the fact that she had that over me. But I turned my focus back to Elena.

"I can give Caroline some blood."

"No, no way," she said shaking her head.

"No, no, no, just to heal her. She'll be safe in the hospital it'll be out of her system in a day. She'll be better Elena."

"It's too risky I can't agree to that!"

"Do it." I turned my attention back to Bonnie. She was agreeing with me, but then again, it was _her _who didn't deactivate the device, causing the mayors stupid kid to crash the car (in the back of my mind, I knew I had to figure out why) and that put Caroline in the white prison. So basically, it was her fault.

She was guilty. I knew the feeling.

"This is Caroline, ok? We can't let her die." And with that, I knew Elena changed her mind. Though I'm sure she didn't trace it all back to Bonnie, as Bonnie had. "Do it," she said again.

"If I do this," my finger went back and forth between us as I said "You and me call a truce?" I put a _really_ forced smile on my face.

"No," she said simply, a smirk creeping up on her face. "But you'll do it anyway." My smile faded. Just as I was about to pull back on the deal, she added, "For Elena." Again, with that smug look. The stupid bitch witch knew my soft spot. I had a feeling she would use it again. Bonnie hates me so much, but she uses the same battle tactics as I do, and yet, she thinks we are so different. Her pride got the best of her, and I think it would be her downfall along the road.

Elena looked at Bonnie questioningly, but Bonnie merely raised her eyebrows and left us alone. I watched her as she turned the corner, and then put my attention back to Elena.

"I know this is probably the last thing you wanna do right now, but we should probably talk about what happened tonight." I smirked at the memory, but Elena remained serious. No blush to her cheeks, no cringe, not even an eye roll.

"Yeah, one of the tomb vampires got into the house and almost killed John!" I raised an eyebrow and looked at her all confused.

"What? Wha – when? What are you talking about? After I left?" Now it was her turn to look confused.

"You were there?" Oh yeah, the bad part about teenagers (even ones very mature for their ages) they still pretend something didn't happen when it did. I rolled my eyes.

"Come on Elena you know I was," I said quietly. She cocked her head to the side.

"When were you at the house?" she asked again. I looked at her, annoyed. This wasn't just an episode of "The Real World"; I didn't understand why she was playing this stupid game.

"Really?" She stayed quiet, but still looked like she had no freaking idea what I was talking about. "Earlier, on the porch…we were talking…cathartic feelings exposed, come on we kissed Elena!" My voice was leaking with exasperation, but she still ignored it.

"Ok…I don't have time for this Damon." She started to walk past me but I gently grabbed her arm.

"Hey, if you wanna pretend that it didn't happen fine, but I can't." We shared a mutual glance, but it was interrupted by Jenna. She turned away, but not before Jenna gave me another death stare. I rolled my eyes and let them talk. Elena was not immature, but she sure as hell was acting like it. The whole Stefan thing was obvious, but she knew how I felt about her, and the fact that she didn't want to at least talk about how I know she feels for me, was just ridiculous. She couldn't hide from the truth forever.

"No you didn't…" Elena's voice cut off my train of thought.

"Yes I did." It took me a second to realize they were arguing about whether or not Jenna told Elena where she was. Apparently, Elena didn't hear Jenna, or maybe…

"No you didn't." _Elena not acknowledging the kiss…_

"Yes I did!" _Not knowing where Jenna was…_

"_Its late, you should come inside" _Jenna had said to Elena only a few short hours ago. Or at least, who I thought was Elena_. _Blackouts in her memory, John ending up here at the hospital…

I looked back and forth between the two of them and groaned. "You've gotta be kidding me." When I wanted her, she fled. When I didn't want her, when I had FINALLY gotten over her and found some one better, she came back.

_That bitch._

_That stupid bitch._

_Katherine._

Stefan was on the floor of Elena's house when we walked in.

The car ride there was extremely excruciating, considering I spent the majority of the time going through what had happened that night in my head over and over. She was good. She fooled me. I thought she was Elena and once again, she tore out my insides and spit on them, knowing I would figure it out sooner or later.

Elena rushed to her lover's aid. "What happened?" she asked breathlessly. He looked at me. There was no hiding it from her.

"Katherine happened." After a lot of Elena babble and Stefan brooding, we settled in the kitchen. "Did she say what she wanted?" I asked irritated.

"No." Stefan and I had been inspecting the scene of the finger chopping when we finally got to talking about it. Though he had Elena, something about the look on Stefan's face told me that there was something more with Katherine then just a quick hello.

"Woman sure knows how to make an entrance."

"She said she fooled one of us at least, what does – what does that mean?" I thought about an excuse, but figured there was no point.

"She pretended to be Elena when I showed up here early tonight." Stefan looked at me, knowing I had chosen my words wisely, but decided not to press the issue when Elena walked back into the room.

"I told Jeremy." We both looked back at the beautiful girl now occupying both of our fantasies. "I can't lie to him anymore."

"You alright?" asked Prince Charming running to his damsels aid.

"No I'm not alright. I thought with all the tomb vampires gone things would get better."

"I know. We all did."

"Katherine's been in this house which means she's been invited in what are we gonna do?" Her eyes went back and forth between Stefan and me.

I raised my eyebrows and smiled a little. "Move." But Elena was less then pleased.

"Very helpful. Thank you."

"Katherine wants you dead, there's zero you can do about it, you will be dead. But you're not. So clearly she has other plans." Stefan can sugar coat this shit, but in the end, its better to rip the bandage off. That's why I give it to Elena straight. I don't waste my time telling her 'everything's gonna be okay' when its not.

She sat down at the table and I could tell she was tired.

"Right and we need to find out what those other plans are and not provoke her in the process." He was implying that I would of course. "What happened tonight when you thought she was Elena?"

I knew he would ask that sooner or later. Should I lie? Say we had a heart to heart and said goodnight? Maybe piss him off and say we had sex? Then I could quickly take it back so it wouldn't look as bad. He obviously knew it was something. I narrowed my eyes a little, deciding what to tell him. I think Elena was awaiting the story as well.

"To risk another…frown line encroaching on a _very _crowded forehead," I walked over to the edge of the counter. "We…kissed." Stefan's face remained like stone.

"And you thought it was me?" Elena sounded surprised.

"What do you mean you kissed?" I noted the edge in Stefan's voice. I crossed my arms and touched my chin.

"Well, when two lips pucker and they go-" I made a kissing noise, and closed my eyes, but I knew Stefan all too well. I opened them in enough time to see him charge at me and I ran out of the way. He was way too predicable.

"Don't be obvious Stefan." I smirked a little as he started walking towards me again, but Elena so noble and pacifistic, stepped in front of him.

"He, he, he kissed Katherine. Not me." The edge of his mouth turned up a little bit, but my gaze remained intense. I needed a good fight. Though my brother and I had made a truce, I know he owed me a good punch in the jaw. And I would be ready when he decided to man up.

Elena turned towards me and looked me deeply in the eyes.

"I wouldn't do that." I avoided her stare, so she turned back to Stefan. "We don't have time for this, guys."

"Later," Stefan said to me. I smiled a little and nodded. Anytime, anyplace, tough guy. I ignored whatever Elena said next, but then she looked back at me and said "…there must be a reason why she tried to kill him." I started walking away when I realized the subject had moved to John.

"She's Katherine! She loves to play games and your fooling yourself if you think you're gonna find out what she's up to before she wants you to know." _After all, I had learned from the best. _ I added to myself. My arms crossed and I leaned against the wall.

"Well actually, Elena's right, John could know something through Isobel." Stefan spoke just to Elena now. "Your mother, she was in touch with Katherine so maybe we can go to the hospital and talk-" I cut him off.

"I've got a better idea," I said, looking out the door and away from the two in the kitchen. Elena sighed and turned around.

"What's that?"

"I'm just gonna ignore the bitch." I said, dragging out the last word. "See ya." Elena looked concerned though.

"Is that smart?"

"If Katherine thinks she's being ignored," I raised my eyebrows. "It'll lure her out." I couldn't wait to get her out. She had already screwed up one thing in my so called life that was starting to come together. I didn't want to wait around to see what else she would fuck up. "Then I'll make a move." I smiled a little. But here comes the clouds to rain on my parade.

"Yeah? Then what?" Stefan asked. I pretended to think for a minute.

"Stake her. Rip her head off. Something poetic. We'll see." And with that lovely image in their minds, I left the Gilbert house.

This whole, funeral, death thing got me thinking. If I died…I mean like…_really_ died. No more sucking blood, no more endless sex, just…dead. Who would miss me? If anyone. I mean, lets see, Stefan and I don't get along, and he's been trying to get rid of me since forever so…he wouldn't miss me. Liz maybe. She's the only one who doesn't know my secret and actually likes me. No one else on the council really does. Caroline no. Bonnie no. Jeremy…most likely not. Jenna might regret never sleeping with me. Rick…no. Though now that I think about it, he might miss his "Van Helsing" vampire killing partner. Elena…would she miss me? Well speak of the devil and she shall appear.

"Hey," she said. "How you doing?" I noticed her hair was straight again. Which relived me in a way. Curls were so 1860's. The hair made me remember I wasn't looking at a spitting image of Katherine inside and out.

"Great Elena, I'm walking on sunshine. Thanks for asking." I wonder if she caught my sarcasm.

"Damon…"

"Elena…" I said mocking her plea.

"We should be able to talk about this." I looked back at the sunset and took a sip of some expensive alcohol I was drinking. "We're close enough now. I really want to know how you're doing." I laughed internally. You asked for it Elena.

"I kissed you; I thought you kissed me back. Doppelganger high jinx ensues. How do you think I'm doing?"

"I think you're hurt." She said and I just smiled.

"Hmmm no I don't get hurt Elena."

"No, you don't _admit _that you get hurt. You get angry and cover it up and then…you do something stupid." I hated admitting it to myself, but she was spot on. No one had ever seen me like she had. Stefan never gave me a chance, Katherine…she didn't care. She sees right through me, and that's what scares me. And _her. _

"You're scared." Her brown eyes sparkled as she stared up at me. "You think Katherine is gonna send me off the deep end don't you." I smirked. Her face seemed relieved though, like she thought I was going to say something else. "I don't need her for that."

I walked by her, but my mouth got the best of me and I turned around. "You know what?" She turned around. "Why is it such a surprise that I would kiss you?" I asked her, genuinely curious.

"That's not a surprise." I cocked my head to the side and waited for her to continue. "I'm surprised that you thought I'd kiss you back." I had always been honest with her. I guess she thought she owed it to me to be brutally honest as well. But that doesn't mean it didn't hurt. In fact, it hurt, bad. I just continued to stare into her light brown eyes until words came to me. My lips went into a hard line.

"Now I'm hurt." I turned away before she could say anything more, but Bonnie was there cutting her off anyways.

I got why Stefan refused the fight, but I wouldn't have. I don't know if that makes me stronger but-

My chest hurts. I stop walking.

"Very brave of you to come here." I turn to see Katherine sprawled on my couch. Not long ago I would have rejoiced. Now I have to clean it to get the bitch germs off it.

"I wanted to say 'goodbye'," She said. But I'm not naïve. She wanted something from me. Something I would have gladly given to her a couple weeks ago. But I've moved on.

I stared at her for a minute. "Leaving so soon?" I ask.

"I know where I'm not wanted." You got that right honey.

"Don't pout. It's not attractive on a woman your age." I said, chugging the last sip of alcohol.

She laughed humorlessly. "Ouch." _Girl, you have no idea what "ouch" is_. I put the glass on the table and turn away. Of course, she's there. In my way. Stopping me from moving forward.

"What no goodbye kiss?"

"Why don't I kill you instead?" She scoffs as I look at her, disgusted. "What are you doing here?" I ask her, seriously.

"Nostalgia, curiosity, etcetera." I don't buy it.

"I'm better at the one-liners Katherine. What're you up to?"

"Trust me Damon, if I was up to something, you'd know it." She stepped towards me again, but my face remains like stone. Centimeters from my face, she whispers "So come on, kiss me, or kill me. Which will it be Damon? And we both know you're only capable of one." She looked so much like Elena. The difference is Elena is loyal to Stefan. I should have known she wouldn't kiss me. Even if deep down she wants to.

I turn away from Katherine again, but she's still there. She pushed me on the ground and falls onto of me. Her legs hug me and her arm starts rubbing my stomach.

"My sweet, innocent, Damon." Her lips make their way to my cheek, but I knew that when I heard the word innocent, I would need to show her otherwise. I turn onto my stomach quickly grabbing her neck on the way.

She is surprised at first, and she looks confused, but I look down at her, having fond memories of this position, and she smiles. Before I can stop myself again, I press my lips onto hers with immense force.

I kiss her passionately, our mouths moving in unison. I don't even need to ask her for entrance to her tongue, she opens her mouth and lets me in without hesitation. As the kiss becomes deeper and deeper, we both gasp for air and she whispers seductively "That's more like it." I kiss her one more time before she throws me against the far wall, my shirt already half unbuttoned.

She paws at my chest and looks at me with her fiery eyes. She pulls towards me again and I grab her body. It's so light in my arms, and I use one hand to knock the books off of some table. Her mouth tastes exactly how it used to. Spicy and dark. I pull her shirt over her head and started sucking on her neck. My teeth graze her skin and she moans with pleasure.

I grab her thigh and my nails dig into her flesh. As much as I enjoyed this, something about it was no longer what I needed. It's hard to love someone for 145 years and then quit them cold turkey. As much as I want to. I'm not Stefan. I can't move on so quickly. He should have Katherine. There's a part of him that still wants her, I can tell. Katherine wants him, so why shouldn't he want her?

I kiss Katherine's neck and then hold up a finger. "Ok wait. Wait. Brief pause." She lets out an exasperated sigh and pushed me off her. We stare at each other for a minute before I say "I have a question. Answer it, and it's back to fireworks and rockets red glare. Answer it right and, I'll forget the last one-hundred and forty five years I've spent missing you. I'll forget, how much I loved you and we can start over. This could be our defining moment, I mean we have time." I stepped towards her, my voice wavering. "That's the beauty of eternity. I just need the truth just _once._" I stroked her hair.

"Stop." I looked into her eyes, trying to find some humanity that I know everyone else tried to find in me. "I already know your question. And its answer." I kept stroking her face, and the expression, the one of utter disappointment, reminded me of Elena. "The truth is, I never loved you."

My chest felt inflamed. I had known this for such a long time, but that didn't cushion the blow. Then she whispered, "It was always Stefan." Her hands met mine, and then she went, as fast as she came.

The night is hazy. I'm wasted. Soooooo wastttteeeedddd. Such a cliché really. Drowning my sorrows with alcohol. But hey, its works doesn't it? I knew where I had to go when Katherine left. I had to protect Elena. The one I actually cared about. And she cared about me. As much as she tried to deny it. I would know…I've been denying things for centuries.

The night is hazy, so I see Elena. I see her come in startled. I tell her I'm doing my part in the neighborhood watch…she thanks me. Of course. I fail to mention the part where I hoped to walk in on her changing. But I doubt she would have liked that.

She asks if I've been drinking. She knows I'm upset. But I tell her I'm not upset.

"Upset is an emotion intended for those who care." She rolls her eyes.

"Come on Damon, that's a lie." I scoff. Like she wants to know what's wrong. Like she wants to nurse me back to health and then choose Stefan. My mind flashes to the night of the football game _"Let's get one thing straight. I am not Katherine." _ But she is. She plays with people. Maybe she doesn't do it always on purpose, but she does.

"You're surprised that I thought you'd kiss me back?" I ask, my eyes narrowing. "You can't _imagine _that I'd believe you'd want to." She said my name. "Doesn't what we've been doing here…mean something?" She continues to look at me with those soul-seeing eyes. "You're the liar Elena. There is something going on between the two of us and you know it." I stood up and looked down at her. Her mouth was open, but no words came out. So I continued. "And you're lying to me, and you're lying to Stefan, and most of all you're lying to yourself. I can prove it." I put my hands on her cheeks and kiss her, gently, but still harshly. I knew she felt something, and if I needed to help her see it then so be it.

"No," she said, trying to loosen my grip. But my arms were a vice. "Damon don't. What's wrong with you?" she pleads. She tells me I'm better then this, but I know she's wrong.

"That's where you're wrong." I say and attempt to place my lips back on hers.

"No Damon I care about you! Listen I care about you! I do but-" without even speaking the words I know what she's gonna say. Because I know that it's never going to be me. With Katherine. With Elena. It's always going to be Stefan. "I love Stefan. It's always going to be Stefan." Tears start forming in her eyes, and I feel the remaining humanity in me completely slip away.

"Elena what's going on in here?" The little brother. She reassures him everything is okay. But it's another lie. He cares about her. But he doesn't care about himself. He lost love too. I saw his love being taken away from him. He has nothing to live for. Just like me.

She hurt me, now I'm going to hurt her.

"No it's not okay, Elena. He wants to be a vampire." I charge at him, pinning him against the wall. The woman behind me yells, but I'm not listening. "You wanna shut off the pain? It's the easiest thing in the world! The part of you that cares just goes away!" I say happily to myself…oh and to Jeremy. "All you have to do is flip the switch and SNAP!" I had flipped the switch on Jeremy's life, and my humanity once again.

I looked down upon the work I had just done. My first thought is how great it felt, the next one encroaches upon me as I look at the girl lying on the floor next to her limp brother. I had seen that feeling before. The one where your whole world just came tumbling down. Your heart is broken and you just think _What have I done? How can I change this? _But then you realize you can't. And then you become like me.

**Days to write, seconds to review. Tell me what you think!**


	14. Masquerade

**A/N: I'm sooo sorry I haven't put up a chapter recently, to be honest, I haven't been totally inspired and I hate going into a writing project not excited. I loved the end of this episode, so I had to do it. I love this show and I love Damon, and I think I'm going to go back and take a look at some other episodes I would wanna write. **

**I wrote this fast cause I wanted to get it out ASAP. If there are grammar mistakes, I apologize. **

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Vampire Diaries. If I did, Matt and Caroline would just have sex already. **

**Enjoy.  
**

This was it. It was time. I had been waiting for this moment for 145 years. Taking that stake and plunging it through that bitches heart would be like taking a breath of air after being chained to the bottom of the ocean. And if anyone was gonna get rid of Katherine, it was gonna be me.

I had been sitting in the upstairs parlor of the Lockwood mansion when I heard Stefan and Katherine dancing. At first I thought it was Elena, but I took a sigh of relief when I heard her threatening Stefan. She was so dumb. Did she actually think that Stefan would come without backup? I'm sure she guessed I'd be on his side, but she didn't know anything about Jeremy and Bonnie. And Caroline, if she played her part right.

Stefan had come running upstairs after a minor casualty with one of Elena's dumb "friends." Whatever. Anything to get rid of the bitch was worth it.

"I put the body in the trunk for now." Stefan said, panting. Meanwhile, I had been up burning a whole in the floor with my constant back and forth marches across the room, imagining the feeling of freedom once that stake was nice and clean through her heart.

"Well, we'll dump her when we get back." _And after all this shit is good and done with._

"This is _exactly_ what I didn't want Damon!" _Oh god, little brother please don't get cold feel on me now._

"Stefan, its collateral damage."

"Right," he raised a finger. "Which is why we need to call it off."

"What?" I asked, surprised. "Who's hesitating now?" I snapped. He could not do this to me, when we were this close! "Hey! Don't do this too me." I hated pleading, but it had to be done. "This women ruined our lives, she destroyed us!" Mostly me. "Tonight it ends." Though Stefan wasn't exactly looking at me, I knew he was in it. I knew he was thinking about Elena.

I held is shoulders. "We can do it together. I got your back." He nodded, and the decision was set.

When I heard Caroline utter, "Goodbye Katherine" I don't think I've ever been more pleased with her. After a while of thinking, I decided I liked her. I mean, back when I wanted nothing more then to destroy Mystic Falls, she was just the toy I liked to play with. And eat. But now that her mental capacity held more then what she's gonna wear to the mall, she was a pretty useful asset in the war against Katherine. She had wanted her gone just as much as we did. And tonight, she was getting her wish.

"You don't _really_ think you can kill me with that do you?" Katherine said, trying to buy time. I saw Stefan look down at his stake.

"No." I smiled and crept to the door. "But he can." Before she could even turn around, Rick's gun shot perfectly into her back. It was a sweet sound, hearing her whither with pain, but our work was only half done.

We both knew Katherine was going to be hard to catch; she was smart, cunning, and fast. But that sure as hell wasn't going to stop us. We were gonna fight until every wooden object in the room was destroyed, and she was dead.

I wasn't surprised when I pulled the stake out of her back that she was going to put up a very difficult fight. She threw me to the ground, but Stefan was fighting just as hard.

He grabbed her by the neck and fell on the ground, taking her with him. I took the stake she was attempting to stab me with and held it over my head, making sure I enjoyed ever second of her killing…when I hear a voice, ruining my fun.

"Stop! Your hurting Elena, everything your doing is hurting Elena." I didn't look away from Katherine, but my anger subsided as I felt the heartache I knew would come if I had to see a dead Elena.

"Lets all make sure poor Elena's okay." Katherine said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she grabbed a stake off the floor. She started with slicing her hand open, and I could almost hear the pain Elena was in. "This is really gonna hurt." The bitch smiled, raising the stake above her stomach.

"Wait!" I yelled. Katherine smiled, and sat on the couch. I sighed silently. It would have really sucked for Katherine to take Elena with her to hell.

"So how about my moonstone?" she said as she sat on the couch. I looked at Stefan and I knew we had the same things on our mind. This sure was putting a kink in our master fucking plan.

I walked outside the room for a second. Trying to get my act together while listening to her grotesque voice was a challenge. Then – of course – she starts in on the past again. "The three of us together, just like old times." I closed my eyes and pictured her head being crushed by my hands. It calmed me down…a little. "The brother that loved me too much and the one that didn't love me enough."

"And the evil slut vampire who only loved herself." I added with a smirk as I turned around to face them. God if it weren't for Elena right now I'd-

"What happened to you Damon? You used to be all sweet and polite."

"Oh that Damon died a _long_ time ago." I gave her a cynical smile, but she dished it right back.

"Good," she said. "He was a bore."

"Oh god, why don't you two stop antagonizing each other?" I growled softly; leave it to Stefan to ruin the fun. Katherine looked at Stefan and smiled.

"Does Elena enjoy having you two worship at her alter?" I laughed and Stefan looked back at me, smiling. Yeah it was true, but we weren't about to fight about that now when the bitch was soon to be dead and gone.

"That was really…desperate Katherine. Don't you think we could see right through you?" God I loved the look on her face when Stefan shot her down. She looked heartbroken. So now she knew what it really felt like.

"So it doesn't bother you that Damon's in love with your girlfriend?" She just kept talking. Digging an even deeper grave for herself then was already had her name on it.

"Oh, stop it." He said, annoyed. I took a couple steps into the room. I had to admit, I did wonder what Stefan was thinking right now. I know he's all vampire strong and shit, but was Katherine hitting a nerve? Cause I really didn't have time for his sensitive shit right now, but thankfully, he didn't seem to be taking her B.S. either.

"Or what? You'll hurt me?" she said, standing up to face him. "Everything I fell, Elena feels, so go ahead." She gasped as an idea popped into her head and she turned towards me.

"Or better yet," she took a couple steps. "Kiss me Damon. She'll feel that too." I smiled a fake smile. And Stefan went on ranting about the dog I killed the other day. I couldn't help but think, was Katherine doing this to break up me and Stefan? Or did she think it would stop me from killing her? Either way, it wasn't gonna work. This bitch was psycho.

"I'll have some of that." Katherine demanded after spotting me with some expensive looking alcohol on the dresser. Mayor Lockwood must have had some raggers with this stuff.

"Right away Ms. Katherine." I said, imitating so many people who say that to her every day under her spell. But I wasn't about to let her get away with it all again. After handing it to her, all my anger boiled up once again and I threw her against the wall. I grabbed a stake and attempted to gut Katherine. At the moment, I was pissed that Stefan stopped me.

"No Damon don't!"

"Yes Damon _please _do!" she shrieked.

"As soon as the spell is lifted, I'm going to drive this stake right through your heart!"

"God you're hot." She said, which was the last thing I expected to come out of her mouth, but then again, I didn't really know what to expect from Katherine. "When did you get so hot?" I - being a man - admit I was turned on for a second when she rubbed my chest. I mean, can you blame me? She's almost twins with Elena, but the anger soon subsided and I remembered the loathing I felt for the wench.

Of course when I let go of her neck, she walks right over to Stefan. Typical.

"Katherine," I turn towards the door and see an unfamiliar women. She had a slight recumbence to Bonnie, but the fact that she liked Katherine told me she wasn't a good character, and had placed the spell on Elena in the first place. "The spell in this room has been broken you're free to leave."

"Ugh, thank god." Katherine said, looking at Stefan.

"When I hand this to you, my debt to you is over." The witch said, which made me think, maybe she wasn't bad-

"Done." Maybe she _had _to do this for Katherine-

"I owe you nothing," Maybe she hates Katherine just as much as we do-

"I said done!" But now that her "debt" as she said is over…"Give it."

"I wouldn't do that." I said. I wasn't sure if I was talking to the witch, or if I was talking to Katherine, but either way, my plea wasn't heard. The witch gave Katherine the stone, but I could have sworn I saw her gaze flicker to me for a second.

I could tell Katherine was pleased, that is, until she started choking and her body started crumbling onto the floor. I didn't know what was happening, until I looked at the estranged witches face and saw pure delight. So I was right. She was bound to Katherine, until now.

"You should have told me another witch was involved." Ah, Bonnie had found her had she? I put in a mental note saying I would have to thank her later. We were both mutual parties to each other, but that didn't stop me from being a little annoyed I had to owe her once again.

"She's a Bennett witch Katherine, but I'm sure you knew that."

"Wait, Elena!" Stefan said.

"Elena's fine. The spell is broken; she'll heal quickly Bonnie's with her." She looked at me and Stefan. "I apologize for my involvement." And with that, she turned away. Leaving me and Stefan both thinking, _what the hell just happened?_

Stefan and I had an agreement. Katherine dead. But once she was limp on the floor of the Lockwood mansion, we decided death was too simple. She ruined our lives; she deserved a hell of a lot worse then death. But what was worse then death? She had resisted vervain, and any sort of witchy mind-blow-up thing, so what's worse then those? How about being trapped underground with nothing to eat for a couple thousand years? No place to move the walls, nothing to do, eventually, you go mad. Or mummify, whichever comes first.

The door was open when I threw her in, but thankfully, Bonnie had put up the invisible wall spell again. I sat on a rock in the tomb, waiting for her to wake up. Which eventually, she did. I heard her take a gasp of rotten air, and attempt to break through the barrier more then once.

I emerged from the stairs and looked at her.

"Hello Katherine." My voice was empty. Not full of hate, not full disgust, not full of anything.

"Where am I?" she asked hoarsely.

"Where you should have been all along." Daggers were behind her eyes, but they wouldn't get to me. "You should have known better then messing with a Bennett witch."

"You should have killed me."

"Death would have been too kind." I said, anger in my voice for the first time in the conversation. I approached the door. I wanted to make sure I was the last thing she saw before being trapped forever. I wanted her to know it was _me _who locked her up. _Me _being the wrong person to mess with.

"No, Damon don't. Damon, no. You need me Elena's in danger." That made me hesitate mid-shutting the door.

"From who?" I asked, looking at her again. She didn't say anything. God I wish I hadn't hesitated. It gave her a sense of accomplishment that I knew she didn't need. I let out a deep breath. "Lying, you're always lying."

"Why do you think I haven't killed her?" she cried desperately. "Because she's my doppelganger she needs to be protected."

My eyes narrowed as I prepared to end her reign on everyone in Mystic Falls. She ruined my life, she ruined Stefan's life. She hurt Jenna, Caroline…Elena. People I cared about. People who only _I _could mess with. It wasn't her time anymore; she wasn't going to continue to mess with anyone anymore. Once I closed this door, I knew that I had officially let go of her. I had moved on, and she would know it. No one would pine over her anymore, this was the end.

"Then I'll protect her, while you rot in Hell." She cried pleas of mercy, but I ignored them. Once the door was shut I turned away. I closed my eyes and felt the weight get pulled up from off my shoulders. I was free.

**You like? Don't like? Reviews help me sleep at night. **


	15. Rose

**A/N- haHA! I got it out before the new one tonight. This episode made me cry so much. Damon is such a complex guy, and I really hope I hit the nail on the head with this one. I wrote it fast cause I NEEDED to get it up. **

**Enjoy!**

Rose

It wasn't even a year ago that I had Elena sitting shotgun next to me in my extremely hot car. Now, to my dismay, she had been replaced by Stefan. A real downgrade if you ask me. Instead of having a beautiful damsel in distress waking up to find me, I have an over muscular attempting-to-make-small-talk annoying brother. Life was so unfair.

"Alaric sure likes his weapon's." I say as I see Stefan playing with some perfume/grenade launcher thing. "What the hell is that?"

"It's a vervain bomb or grenade launcher or something like that."

"Weird."

"Hey how much further is it?" Stefan said this casually, but I knew this situation wasn't casual. I knew he was screaming like a little girl inside.

"About 80 miles…" I answered just as nonchalantly. There was an awkward silence for a minute before Stefan pondered "Who do you think took her?"

"Someone from Katherine's past, she said she was running from someone." I shrugged. I hated thinking about Katherine like she was still part of my life. "Maybe they got the wrong girl." My brother's conversation with me earlier was still a little sticky. He had wanted to release Katherine, which was a freaking bad idea. Even though he knew it, the idea wasn't out of his head yet. That worried me a little, but if he so much as stepped foot in that tomb, I would be there to shut the door in Katherine's face once again.

"Thank you," Stefan said surprisingly. I knew it was hard for him to thank _me _of all people. I didn't really see that one coming to be honest. "For helping me." Oh god, he was _totally_ about to start talking about something other then the weather.  
"Can we not do the whole, road trip bonding thing?" I clenched my jaw tightly. "The cliché of it all makes me itch."

"Common Damon. We both know you being in this car has nothing to do with me anyway." _Oh Stefan, you see right through me!_ I smirked a little bit. So we were gonna do the awkward mutual love talk huh?

"And the big elephant in the room lets out a mighty roar!"

"Well it doesn't have to be an elephant, let's talk about it." He smiled his good-boy smile and I laughed.

"There's nothing to talk about."

"That's not true, sure there is! Just get it out!" I stared at the road with glassy eyes. I considered his offer, but only for a second. Bonding really wasn't on my mind right now. "I mean, are you in this car to help your little brother save the girl he loves? Or is because you love her too?" He said it so casually again, like it was okay for history to repeat itself.

If it came down to it, Elena would choose him. He knows it and unfortunately, I know it too. So he wants to feel good about giving me a chance to say what I need to say, but making Stefan clear is conscience wasn't on my list at the moment.

"Common express yourself I happen to like road trip…bonding." I smirked.

"Keep it up Stefan," I locked my eyes on the road. "I can step out of helping just as easily as I stepped in." He sucked on his teeth, and I already knew he wasn't buying it.

"Nope, see that's the beauty of it." He faced me again, giving me his puppy dog eyes. "You can't." My teeth grinded together and I looked at him, I wasn't gonna admit it and let him win this one so easily. Don't get me wrong, this was a huge deal. The sweet innocent Elena getting captured by people again and again…it was getting a little tedious if you ask me. But what did he expect me to do? Just break down right there and admit everything I was…_feeling_? Uh, the word was like poison in my mouth.

I didn't take my eyes off him until he turned his bloody romance novel face to the window. Needless to say, that was the end of our "bonding."

* * *

I had actually been surprised to see Stefan surprised when I said I was coming on this little adventure. He acted like it wasn't totally bizarre that we were in love with the same women…_again._ But right now, it didn't matter who was in love with who. What mattered now was to get Elena out of that house alive. At least when your in love with the same girl, you'd both give up your lives trying to save her. See? Being in love with the same women had its perks.

We had a plan. The Salvatore brothers _always _have a plan, but seeing as there were now two vampires holding Elena, we realized this rescue might be a tad bit more difficult then it seemed. But I smirked at that thought. Stefan had been drinking human blood, so had I; we were both at the top of our game, as long as no emotions got in the way…Stefan…

We sprinted across the hallway, making the women vamp look even more petrified then she already did. Stefan ran up the stairs while I stayed down. To my surprise, when I caught a glimpse of Elena's face, she didn't seem scared. It was as if she knew we were coming for her. And if she didn't, then she's obviously more naive then I thought.

"Up here." I heard Stefan whisper just loud enough that the guy would hear it. As he ran up the stairs, I slyly whispered "down here."

God the look on his face was absolutely priceless, but no more jokes. I had to get Elena out of there.

You wouldn't be able to see it if you blinked, but Stefan stuck one of Rick's mini steaks into the guys hand, grabbing Elena on the way. At the same time, I had grabbed the red head and pinned her against the wall. I had to move quickly, but from what I could see, the guy was pissed.

He pulled the steak out of his hand before calmly looking up the stairs.

"Excuse me," god I hoped Stefan kept Elena quiet. "To Whom It May Concern, your making a great mistake if you think you can beat me." The dude held up his arms as if welcoming any coming attacker. He was as cocky as me. "You can't. You hear that?" My hand was kept firmly on the stranger's mouth, but from what I could hear, something was getting broken into pieces.

"You cannot, beat me." His confidence echoed annoyingly throughout the mansion. The girl didn't seem like she was gonna scream, in fact, she seemed a little relieved that she was away from that guy. Bad break up probably.

"I want the girl, on the count of three," I looked briefly around the corner, hoping that Stefan would be ready for what's coming. "Or heads will roll." There were pieces of wood rolling on the floor. "Do we understand each other?"

"Wait!" Elena's voice was like that of an angel. "I'll come with you just please don't hurt my friends they were only trying to help me out." From the sounds of her voice, she was pretty convincing. The vampire ran up the stairs, making her shudder. I scowled angrily. Only I could do that.

"What game are you playing with me?" And with that, Elena tore off the pin and threw the vervain bomb, shedding off layers of the guy's skin. Badass Elena.

He screeched in pain, making my ears bleed. Unfortunately, his skin healed quickly, and he approached Elena once more. I wanted to jump out and kill the guy now, but I know I had to wait to follow the plan.

Speak of the saint, Stefan ran down the stairs two at a time, launching as many steaks as he could. We both saw it only slowed this guy down, so my brother decides to tackle him down the stairs and away from Elena.

Mystery man gets up quickly and looks down at Stef like he's about to say goodbye, but before he took another breath, I sprinted up to him and – without a second of hesitation – I punched a steak through his chest and held him up against a wall. I smiled at myself as the thought of him becoming a wall mantle crossed my mind.

His face shriveled up like a raisin before he officially took his last breath and lay limp at the end of the pole.

I looked back quick enough to see the red head slither out of the house, I was prepared for another battle, but Elena had other plans.

"Just let her go." She said a nervous quiver very obvious in her voice.

I looked at her standing at the top of the stairs and without helping it, I smiled. The sun reflecting in from the window behind her made her look like a freaking godsend. She was looking at me too, a look of gratitude and affection gleaming in her eyes. Even with a bloody t-shirt and an unsteady heart beat, she looked amazing. My heart might not beat anymore, but there was a feeling in my chest that even a guy with non-functioning organs felt when he looked at something he loved.

As much as I hated the words in the past, it was true. I _loved _Elena. I was in _love _with her.

She started descending from the stairs nervously, but anxious. She seemed just as excited to see me as I did her. I walked a couple steps to be there when she needed someone to hold her but-

"Hey commereyouhurtyouokay?" Stefan. Always Stefan. She held onto him as if they were the last two people on earth, and I felt my non-beating heart shatter. Tears were leaking out of her eyes, but with Stefan close to her, I think she knew she would be okay.

I watched there embrace in quiet envy. I wished that was me. Me holding Elena, comforting her as she cried, me the one she goes to to make her laugh, me she loved…

But what I did get from her would never be enough. She looked at me over Stefan's shoulder, and mouthed the words _Thank you._ I smiled a content smile and silently said back to her, _your welcome. _

She gave me one last gratuitous look, then turned back to the man she loved. Which unfortunately, wasn't me.

* * *

That's the thing isn't it? I'm greedy. I want things I shouldn't have and that don't deserve to be with a person like me. But that doesn't stop me from wanting them. I will _always _want Elena, but until she has no one else, she won't want me. Making her feel bad about two men loving her, it wasn't fair.

She could pretend she doesn't know, but she knows how we both feel about her. It wasn't fair of me to be selfish. She had given up so much to help us, to help Stefan, now it was my turn to help her. Not in a save-her kinnda way, but in an, I'm-sorry-I'm-making-things-difficult kinnda way. It was time I let her go.

Elena was still shaken up, I could tell even from the other room. Though it was pretty cold outside, she was wearing a navy blue tank top and cute pajama shorts. She looked so comfy, up until she saw me.

"Cute PJ's." I said with a half smile.

"I'm tired Damon." She backed away a little bit as I stood up. I remember when it was my life's goal to make her flinch; now I just want to make her comfortable and safe with me.

"I brought you this." I held up her vervain necklace as sort of a peace offering.

"I thought that was gone." I shook my head. And for the first time since the whole killing Jeremy thing, she looked me in the eyes. "Thank you." I pulled my hand away. "Please give it back."

"I just have to say something." I choked out. I had gone over the plan about a million times in my head, but now standing here, next to the girl I loved, I didn't want to admit it. I might have been a long list of horrible things, but I wasn't a coward.

"Why do you have to say it with my necklace?"

"Well…probably because what I have to say is…probably the most selfish thing I've ever said in my life." I could tell she wasn't gonna like what was coming. But standing in front of her now, there was nothing left to say. God she was beautiful. She was smart, clever; funny…she was absolutely perfect. My heart felt like it was being swallowed by my stomach, but I remained calm. I had to do this. I had to tell her how I felt. I needed to get it out.

"Damon don't go there."

"I only have to say it once; you just need to hear it." She stopped retreating and faced me. In her eyes, I saw a reflection of myself. This man was a stranger to me. This man was selfless, kind; heroic…he was something that had to be preserved. Someone that maybe one day, she deserved.

"I love you Elena."…"And it's because I love you that, I can't be selfish with you. You can't know this, because I don't deserve you." My eyes swelled with tears. "But my brother does." I cautiously stepped forward and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. I closed my eyes and let myself treasure her taste, knowing I would never be that close to her again. Even though I longed to be more then anything in the universe…

I touched her soft hair and whispered "God, I wish you didn't have to forget this." I looked into her eyes one last honest time. "But you do." Something wet crawled down my face, and before departing, I recognized it was a tear.

I slipped out of the window and out of her life. I looked up at the sky and let the tears be released. I had given my heart to Elena. Ever since I stepped foot in Mystic Falls, I knew that I was going to be in love with her forever.

I felt naked. As if all my layers had been taken off and now I was just raw Damon. Whoever he was. Maybe one day, he would be the man that Elena deserves. Maybe one day, he would be the man Elena gets. If he wasn't a fool, maybe he would be the man who would hold onto her and never let go.

**A couple words please?**


	16. The Sacrifice

**A/N – Sorry this took FOREVER I know I suck. I was debating on whether to write this chapter at all because I haven't been getting many reviews lately. But I actually think it turned out relatively well. So here is my belated Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Years gift to all my readers who have stuck with me even when I don't update for MONTHS. Cheers! **

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own The Vampire Diaries. Wishing and actually having are two _very _different things.**

The Sacrifice 

Why did Elena always go and get herself into trouble? I mean, I have no problem saving the damsel in distress if she's hot (which in this case she is), but trying to get this Klaus dude's attention so that he can kill her for _our _benefit? That's just stupid.

It would _kill _Stefan, not to mention Jenna and Bonnie. And Caroline.

I'd survive. I wouldn't be very happy, but I'd go on existing. It would just be like finding out Katherine wasn't it the tomb again, only I would feel a little worse cause I knew at some point Elena actually cared about me. But her good feelings towards me had gone out the window with the snap of Jeremy's neck.

I bolted up the stairs and found Slaters apartment as quick as I could.

Elena's distinct smell helped me locate her, but there was something else in the apartment that reeked of fake gothic perfume and powdery makeup.

The door was already open, so I slipped in stealthily before Elena could hear me.

Ah. I spy the source of the makeup and death smell; some weird ass random chick in Slaters apartment. Probably a hooker or something. Obviously low class.

She started gawking at me, which was enough to turn Elena around. She flinched, startled with my presence. She looked pissed out of her mind_. This is what I get for coming to her rescue?_

"What are you doing here?" I asked her, my eyes narrowing.

"What are _you _doing here?" She shot back. Before I could respond, Rose came into view. "You called him?" Elena seemed surprised. Now I'm be scrutinized for doing something _good? _I hated this. I hated knowing that I had gone from being a hot badass who kills whenever he wants to a hot…_good guy. _I shuddered just thinking about my sudden transformation. Well one thing for sure, I'm not going Vegetarian. No way.

"I'm sorry Elena."

"You said that you understood!"

"She lied." I cut in; we needed to get the hell out of here. I wasn't about to go wasting any more time, but Elena stood her ground. The look in her eyes was almost challenging.

"Damon Salvatore!" the useless sack of unnecessary human squawked in the corner.

"Get rid of her." I said to Rose, not breaking my connection to Elena's eyes. She said something else, but I was too busy staring Elena down to care. This was not gonna be an easy battle. "Common, we're leaving."

"_No._"

"I said 'we're leaving!'"

"I'm not going with you."

"_You _do not get to make decisions anymore." Elena just shook her head.

"When have I ever made a decision? You and Stefan do that for me. Now this, this is my decision." I wasn't letting her do this. She wasn't gonna be that stupid. I was not about to let those beautiful eyes and that beautiful spark go to waste. Not after all this.

"Whose gonna save you life when your out making 'decisions'?" I mimicked her, much to her displeasure.

"You're not listening to me Damon _I don't want to be saved._" Her last words echoed through the hall, burning a hole into my heart. This was a suicide mission to her. "Not if it means that…Klaus is going to kill every single person that I love."

"Get your ass out the door before I throw you over my shoulder and carry you out myself." It was her turn to narrow her eyes, challenging me again. I guess she didn't know how serious I was. She was not gonna die like this.

I grabbed her arm and held it tightly, but she struggled trying to wiggle out of my grip. It would have been so much easier if I never gave her back that necklace and I could just compel her to come with me.

"No!" she squirmed in my grip, but it didn't loosen.

Her instincts kicked in and she attempted to punch me with her tiny fists. I saw it coming, so I caught it like a third grader catching a baseball. But I never averted my gaze. I knew she was just trying to distract me so she could make a run for it.

I held onto her fist tightly, pushing it lower and lower down to its original position. I stepped forward subconsciously, becoming acquainted with her personal space. My grey eyes never left hers. I clenched my jaw and looked at her lips hungrily.

Did she actually think there was any way that she would win this? Did she _still _question my feelings for her?

She thought she could fight me. She thought I would see it her way and let her die. She was even crazier then I thought. It was _mad _of her to think I would stand for this.

"Don't _ever _do that again." I whispered. For the first time since I broke her brother's neck, she looked completely terrified of me. She whimpered under my grip, averting her eyes from mine. I would have _killed _to know what she was thinking right then.

Was she gonna come with me? Or was I gonna have to drag her out the door like I promised. It didn't matter either way to me, but one would be more enjoyable then the other.

Once she realized that I wasn't kidding around, her grip loosened up, and she stomped away. I smirked at her frustration. It was wildly entertaining.

* * *

"Time to go." I flew open the doors to the living room to faced the protest of Elena once more. Not that she scared me. "Alice is soundly sleeping and won't remember a minute of this horribly _stupid_ day-" my frustrated monologue was obnoxiously cut off when the front doors of the apartment were kicked open, revealing three ugly looking nomadic vampires.

Oh shit. This wasn't good.

"We're here to meet the doppelganger."

"Thank you for coming-" it was my turn to cut someone off. Elena attempted to step forward, but she wasn't about to go anywhere.

"I will _break your arm_." I whispered back to her harshly. I looked back at the rouge vamps. "There's nothing here for you."

Something cracked and the body closest to the door fell to his knees and greeted death, revealing his assailant. Who looked oddly familiar…

He stepped up, looking straight at Elena with hunger filled threatening eyes, but I wasn't about to back down if this led to bloodshed. Couldn't say the same for Rose, who took one look at the familiar man and fled the coop. Wimp. She should have known it would come down to this. Now I have to take on all three myself.

I stepped back and pushed Elena farther behind me. Wait…his face…what the hell?

"I killed you." I said finally remembering the wooden stake I plunged into his heart not so long ago. "You were dead."

"For centuries now." He turned to the bum looking guy. Speaking in a surprisingly calm tone he asked "Who are you?"

"Who're you?" The bum retorted.

"I'm Elijah." The bum and his side kick looked scared. I didn't care about the exchange that was going on between them. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Elena trembling a little. Her eyes locked with mine and I gave her a reassuring nod. I was prepared for whatever was going to happen next.

I was not going to die a coward. If it came to my existence or Elena's life…_anyone _would choose Elena's life. She was worth every breath. Even what she did some pretty stupid things...

The next thing I knew the other two corpses hit the floor, with the hearts following quickly behind. They hit the dead bodies with a 'thump' and I crouched down, preparing myself for a fight.

To my surprise, this freak Elijah looked calm. He took one look over my shoulder at Elena then fled.

_What? _This was just bizarre. Slaters apartment, this suicide mission, the undead…dead vampire…what the fuck was going on here?

I looked back at Elena quizzically, her jaw completely dropped. She had obviously anticipated a fight as well, but all this Elijah guy left were two very confused opposites in an empty apartment.

* * *

When Jeremy opened the door I knew exactly the word he was gonna say. Though I wasn't there when going down to see the bitch, you'd have to be an idiot not to anticipate him attempting to go into the tomb and get out alive. Though the little squirt pissed me off, I had to admire his perseverance. He loved his sister, and he loved Bonnie (which surprisingly irked me a little.)

God Stefan. He _had _to once again show me up in front of Elena. I go and save her ass, and he's the hero because he saved her snot nose little brother. It's not like he was gonna die! He has the precious ring, Katherine would have just played with him for a little then we would find a way to get him out. With the help of that little witch and our little stooge Caroline. But no. Stefan had to save the day. Stealing my thunder again.

I shook my head and started racing to catch up to Elena. Stefan. Of course Stefan.

"Stefan!" her screams echoed through the forest as I raced to catch her. She looked into the tomb, pleading my brother's name, but I stopped her before she took another step. There was no way that she was gonna trap the only two people I cared about.

I grabbed Elena and pinned her to the rock next to the door threatening "Don't you dare!"

"Stefan's in there Damon! How could you let this happen?"

"What are you talking about I was busy saving you from your crazy kamikaze mission!" she tried to be free of my locked hands, but I wasn't letting her go.

"You didn't even have to go after the moonstone in the first place!"

"It was the right call Elena!"

"Right call? How is any of this the right call?" This conversation wasn't going anywhere…but when Elena tried to get out of my grasp, I only held on tighter. She wasn't going in that tomb. No matter what it took, she wasn't going in that tomb. Stefan wouldn't want her going in there any more then I would.

"Damon let go of me!" she pleaded angrily at first, but then as she realized I wasn't letting go, her pleas subsided to begs. "_Please._" She whimpered and looked at me with her mesmerizing brown eyes.

"You done?" I asked her as she seized fire against my chest.

The fact that he was so noble and good and just…he was exactly who she deserved. Who she would die for. I wouldn't have gone in the tomb for Jeremy, but he did. Because he deserves her. Because he earned her.

I stepped away from her to give her some space, but when she took one glance at the tomb I put my finger in front of her face, stopping her, which she knew I could easily even if it had to resort to physical violence. There would be no point in fighting it, cause it was the best for her, the best for Stefan…if she stayed clear of the tomb.

I gave her one last skeptical look before she ran her fingers through her hair and stormed out of the hell hole we were both in. I heard the leaves crush beneath her feet and once I knew she was far enough away, I turned towards the tomb and looked at my brother. He had the same pained look on his face that he always did when something didn't go according to plan, which was often.

"Of all the idiot plans Stefan…"

He smiled a sad smile. I sighed. This wasn't good. He eyed the frame of the exit, contemplating ways to escape. But of course, with a crippled witch, we really had nothing.

"I'll find a way to get you out." I promised.

"Nah it's alright. I'll uh, I'll handle myself." He pressed his lips together to form a frustrated line. I couldn't blame him. This was the worst situation that we could be in. I sighed, flashing back to the nightmarish time I spent in the basement of the burning building when Stefan had risked his life to save me.

Though he would deny it, we both subconsciously kept score between us, and I knew that I was time for me to save him. And I intended to do just that.

"Bonnie has the moonstone. Work with her try to figure out how to de-spell it."

"You martyr yourself into a tomb and I get partnered with a semi-confident witch." Truthfully, I didn't know what was worse. "Wonderful."

Stefan looked at the dusty rocky floor sadly. I owed him. I knew I did. The agony on his face was obvious, though he tried hard to hide it. He tried to seem stronger then he felt. I knew the feeling.

"Keep Elena away from here." He finally said.

"Yeah cause that'll be easy." I scoffed.

"Promise me. No matter what happens…you'll protect her." Of course the thought of having Elena all to my self tempted me, but as quickly as the thought entered my mind, it exited.

I looked into his eyes, and I saw all the pain that I had caused him and Elena. All the shit I put them through, out of everything….I owed him the most for this. And I intended to make all this right, no matter if I had to die in the process.

"Promise." Stefan gave me one last brooding look and I was gone. Elena needed to be safe, and safe was how I intended on keeping her.

**A/N – The next one WILL be up sooner. I'm reaching for before TVD comes back on. I heard there's some juicy shit coming. But please review and again sorry for the delay. Your all wonderfully patient.  
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**Reviews are very appreciated!  
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	17. The Descent

**A/N- This was really hard to write because it changes from Rose's fantasy to the reality, and I tried to make it as least confusing as possible, when I refer to the "fantasy" world, its Rose's dream, but when I refer to it as reality…its Damon and Rose lying on Damon's bed. **

**I havent gotten as many reviews as I would like...so even if you wanna just put a critique or your thoughts on the show or whatever, it usually motivates me to write faster!**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I would be writing scripts if I owned The Vampire Diaries, not fanfiction.  
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The Descent**  
**

She was heating up. Her body was sweating profusely but she was shaking in my arms as if it was five degrees. I held her tightly in my arms, tears slowly swelling in my eyes. I tried to ignore the pain that was rushing through my body and around my heart.

_I don't care about her. _Lie number one.

_I don't love Elena. _Lie number two.

_Rose means nothing to me. _Lie number three.

Even earlier that day I had lied. To myself, to Elena, to Rose…

* * *

"_Damon" I turned around and faced Elena with an irritated look on my face. She flinched a little. "Is she gonna die?" Ouch. _

_That was the first blow to my stomach. I took a couple steps forward before whispering, _

"_Probably" It was harsh and direct, but since when was I kind and indirect? Elena looked hurt and I wanted more then anything then to comfort her. "The wolf bite caused some kind of infection and its getting worse." I avoided Elena's hallowing gaze. I didn't need any more of her pity._

"_Poison?"_

"_I don't know Elena! I'm not an expert in the field" I shrugged, pretending not to care. _

_If only I could find Bonnie and get the grimoire maybe she could do something to help Rose, give her more time or even heal her. She had survived this long, how could a wolf bite kill her now? Especially one that was aiming towards me…_

"_I'm sorry -"_

"_Death happens. We come we go. The sooner she dies the better."_

_Elena of course looked appalled. Another blow to my chest. _

_It felt like years ago when Rose and I had talked about turning your feelings "off." She said you can't. I was gonna prove her wrong. Feeling was for wimps like Stefan who wanted to be something their not. _

_Standing in the hall with Elena reminded me that I wasn't someone who felt. I was someone who wasn't gonna give a damn._

_

* * *

_

Feeling sucks. I hate sitting here with Rose dying in my arms and me not being able to control anything. I couldn't do anything to save her…and for once I actually wanted to. There was someone in this town besides my brother's girlfriend who I cared about. And who understood me. That was rare. Pretty much unheard of.

I closed my eyes, attempting to suck back my tears.

Rose started mumbling and I tried listening to what she was saying, but I couldn't make her words out. I rubbed her dark red hair and kissed her head. She was going to die, we both knew it. There was nothing I could do to save her.

I sighed and looked down at her face. She looked so peaceful, and I knew what she was thinking of. I closed my eyes again and easily took over the labyrinth that was her mind.

I remembered every detail she mentioned when reminiscing about her home life five hundred years ago. I painted a picture in her head of what I had heard about her home, a place where she could enjoy her last few minutes...

The trees that were all warm frothy colors, the wide open pastures where people like Elizabeth Bennett would be seen reading, the horses quietly grazing on the tall grass…it was her heaven.

The grass crackled and crunched beneath Rose's feet as she danced around the horses and down the field, finding a spot next to me on the warm hill.

I hadn't known her for all that long, but she had listened to all my shit over the past few weeks and help solve my problems…she deserved one more happy moment.

She looked beautiful. The sickly white no longer covered her delicate face; her hair was glistening and her eyes sparkling. She finally looked complete, whole.

"This was my favorite place to come as a girl." She said. In her fantasy, she had on a light blue flowing dress and her hair was longer. Her feet were bare and her hands dirty, just like she described how she used to look. "How did you know?"

"Word gets around." I smiled as she smiled. "You told Elena." Rose laughed a ringing laugh that echoed throughout the hills. For once, her smiled was genuine.

"Am I dreaming?" She asked me. I shrugged. _Who gave a damn either way?_ She laughed again and I turned away from her.

I understood why she loved this place. It was so open and free. You could feel the sun on your face and the warm breeze moving through your skin. It was as if someone had turned off reality. This was a blissful fantasy.

Rose through her head back and took a giant inhale of the mountain air before stating that "The sun is so warm. I miss this. I miss being human."

She looked at me again. "Humanity isn't all it's cracked up to be."

"I had friends I had a family…I mattered."

"You still do." I whispered. Despite the morbid talk, she smiled.

"No…But you do." I sighed, and she continued. "You built a life whether you want to admit it or not. I spent five-hundred years just existing." I shook my head, but she was right.

I had done what I had tried to make sure not to do. I had created attachments, I created friends and a sort of a family…I created a home. Despite having tried everything possible to untie those bonds, they were there, and they were tighter then ever.

God, how could I have been so stupid? I kept getting attached, and it was why there was a dying vampire shaking in my arms.

I shook my head again; I needed to get back to her and her fantasy.

"You had no choice you were running from Klaus."

"There's always a choice." She whispered. I felt tears leaking into my eyes, but quickly blinked them away and focused on the red head in front of me.

"You know you are ruining our perfect day with your strange philosophical babble." She smiled, and I felt my stomach swell as she moved to rest her head on my shoulder. I closed my eyes and wrapped my arm around her.

I knew this was it. This was going to be her last moment, and I needed to make it perfect. She was so strong. She had come into my life by coincidence. She had run, then come back, then run again. But now, she had no where to run to.

I held her tightly in my arms and kissed her head.

"I'd like to enjoy the fresh air would you enjoy it with me?" I smiled at her and she leaned back into my chest. I snaked my hand around her arm and gripped her fingers tightly in mine.

I sat with her for a couple minutes, letting her mind wander and relive her favorite moments while she could, but my mind went back to reality, where the real Rose laid dying in my arms. Her mind was the only place that wasn't fully affected by the wolf bite. Her face was pale again, her hair was short, she was sweating and shivering…she needed her last few minutes in heaven.

"Thank you." She whispered back in the fantasy.

"For what?" …

"The pains gone." We both smiled weak smiles. She knew this was just a dream, but I knew she was grateful for my attempt to make her last few moments warm.

"I'm glad." I whispered, choking back tears.

"Will I see them again? My family?" She looked up at me, hopefulness in her eyes. I didn't need to think about the right thing to say.

"I think you will see whoever you wanna see."

"That would be nice. Maybe ill see Trevor too!" she said excitedly. Trevor, Trevor…oh yeah the guy who was her friend before Elijah killed him. They were best friends who for five-hundred years traveled together…

Yes, I'm sure she was looking forward to seeing him in whatever life comes after this one.

"I'm not afraid anymore." She said happily. In her fantasy I looked at her questioningly but proud, while in reality, I was looking at her with regret. It was time. She was finally at peace with herself.

Tears started forming rapidly in my eyes as I dropped Rose's sleeping hand to grab what was next to my bed.

She was the one who understood what I was going through, and she was the only one who didn't make me feel guilty about it.

"Common," Rose said back in the fantasy. "I'll race you to the trees!" She hopped onto her feet, excited to feel painless.

"Well you'll lose." I said cockily.

"I'm older and faster." She raised her eyebrows challenging me. I laughed and she pulled me to my feet.

"Oh you think?" her beautiful laugh once again filled my ears.

"Well I'm controlling this dream maybe I'll cheat." I cocked an eyebrow and she smiled again, her face radiating happiness.

"On the count of three." She said. I held the steak over the heart and pulled back, tears now leaking from my eyes. This was it, the count of three.

"One…" I held the steak firmly in my grip. "Two…"

_Three. _Rose let out a final gasp before closing her eyes for good. A corpse lay dead in my arms, and I just let the tears fall.

* * *

I walked back to the mansion slowly. After getting rid of Rose's body…I needed time to think.

She had been right about everything. She knew the way I felt about Stefan and Elena…I wish she really understood how I felt about her.

How did I feel about her? Were we just gonna screw around for a while then go our separate ways? Had she even wanted to live? Why had it taken her a fantasy to see that she wasn't afraid anymore? Why had it taken her fantasy to realize _I_ was the one who was afraid?

I keep telling myself she means nothing to me. _Lie number four._

Rose was the one person who understood. She saw me for _me. _She understood how I was so torn between loving Elena and trying not to screw up my brother's relationship. She understood that I was afraid to feel. She _understood me._

And now she was gone.

And Elena took her place in my living room. I _really _wasn't in the mood for the pity speech at the moment. I really just needed to be left alone to get wasted.

"I told you to leave." I said harshly.

"I did, but then I came back to make sure your okay."

"I appreciate the gesture." I said as nicely as possible under the circumstances…"I'm just glad it's over." I shot back some alcohol.

"You know I don't believe that." _God. Why was she here? _Was she trying to torture me? I sighed and pointed to the door.

"Go home Elena. Get some rest. There's a whole new day tomorrow."

"Damon I'm your friend-"

"I'm well aware of that." _She had to keep rubbing that fuckin word in my face: friend. _

"And a friend usually knows when their friend is hurting…"

"What do you want to hear? That I cared about Rose? That I'm upset? Well I didn't and I'm _not._" I turned away from her, trying as hard as I could to let the fucking conversation go.

"There you go. Pretending to turn it off, pretending not to feel." I turned back towards the hypocritical girl I called my _friend. _Once again this was _my _fault. Like I wanted Rose to die? Like I wanted to be the reason and the person who killed her? God damn it! She really didn't get it. I take a couple of steps towards her before exploding.

"I feel Elena, okay? And it _sucks! _What sucks even more is that it was supposed to be me. Jules was coming after _me._" Finally her face loosened up and she whispered

"You feel guilty."

"It would be human of me Elena and I am not human! Your one to talk about giving up cause all you've done is give up!" I pointed towards the door again. "Go home. There's been enough doom, gloom and personal growth for one night."

Elena nodded and I nudged my head towards the door.

"Ok, I will." As cruel as it was, I think she finally understood how hypocritical she was about lecturing me to not give up when that was _exactly _what she spent all of last week doing.

She grabbed her jacket and looked at me for a minute, then wrapped her arms around me and gave me a hug. I didn't move, but she would be a fool not to know that I appreciated it.

She held onto me tightly, and all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around her and never let her go. I swallowed back tears as she held onto me tighter. It was her.

She was the tightest bond I had created here in Mystic Falls. She was the tightest bond I had with…anyone.

* * *

Oh yes, drunk in the middle of the road at night was great. If I'm lucky – and telling by my track record I'm not – a car will run over me. Maybe one with wooden stakes in its tires.

Yeah, getting drunk and laying in the middle of the road is the life.

First customer. She stops and gets out of her car. Asks if I'm alright.

I tell her I'm lost blah blah blah enough with the small talk.

"Not that kind of lost." I say. "Metaphorically."

"Do you need help?" the girl whimpers, obviously getting scared at this point.

"Well, yes I do. Can you help me?" I reach into my jacket and unscrew the cap of my flask, taking a nice big swig.

"You're drunk."

"No, yeah just a little…maybe." The stranger starts to go back to her car. "No please don't leave, I really do need help!" _That's for damn sure. _I wasn't letting her get away that easily. I got up and ran super fast towards her, stopping her dead in her tracks.

"Don't move." I compelled.

"I don't want any trouble." She quivered meekly.

"Neither do I!" I raised my brows and held tightly onto the strangers shoulders. "But that's all I got – is trouble." I let go of the whimpering girl and took a jagged step back. But I regained my footing just in time for another swig from my flask.

"Why can't I move?" I merely smiled a fake smile and placed my hands on either side of her neck.

"What's your name?" I slurred. Not that I gave a damn, but I was to drunk to care.

"Jessica."

"Jessica." I repeated. "I have a secret a _big _secret. But I've never said it out loud! I mean…what's the point? Its not gonna change anything! Its not gonna make me good, make me adopt a puppy!" I spat. "I can't be what other people want me to be. What _she _wants me to be! This is who _I am _Jessica." I stumbled a little, but grabbed the girl's arms tightly to regain my balance. Fuck this. Fuck everything.

"Are you gonna hurt me?" Jessica asked weakly.

"I'm not sure…because I have two questions. Do I kill you, or do I not kill you?"

"Please don't." Tears started falling down her cheeks.

"But I have to Jessica. _Because I'm not human! _And I miss it. I miss it more then anything else in the _WORLD!"_

…

…

"That is my secret." I whispered. "But there's only so much hurt a man can take."

"Please no…" I stepped towards Jessica and looked at her. Her face, the fear in her eyes, her body, her hair…she was weak. She was human. She was _good. _

I swallowed back the rest of my tears and looked into the strangers eyes.

"You're free to go." She took off like a shot after I released her from my invisible hold.

Her heals clacked on the road loudly and I turned around. I took one lazy look at the girl before beating her to the car and biting her neck, draining the life out of her. She fell to the ground. I didn't care if she was dead or if she was merely unconscious. Rose was wrong, I had turned it off.

As blood stained my lips, tears stained my eyes and I suddenly remembered something Rose had told Elena before she died.

"_Damon's a lot like me. He wants to care, and when he does he runs away from it."_

**I wrote this chapter a little differently. Just with the whole flashback to when Damon and Elena are talking in the hall cause I didnt want to have to write that whole scene cause most of it is boring. Anyways, tell me what you think!**

**Review :)  
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	18. Know Thy Enemy

**A/N - Sorry I haven't written in a while. I think I'm starting to get back into the reason I love this show. Anyways, Enjoy!**

The second Stefan stepped foot in my room I knew something was up. And the news just kept getting better and better. First Katherine tricks us into getting her out of the tomb and into my shower, then John shows up again, and now Isobel. Great. As if having to deal with Klaus and keeping Elijah dead in the basement wasn't enough.

I have to remind myself why I am doing all this. I mean honestly, why am I doing all this? Elena loved Stefan, and even if there was something inside her that had some feelings towards me, she would always love Stefan more. And I knew that. So why am I risking everything just to save her?

I should just go back to ripping apart anyone I see and feeding on humans without giving a damn. I liked that Damon. He had style.

But of course I had to get involved. Now I was on a mission with Gilbert junior and the witch. Fantastic.

We all walked up to the other witches apartment silently. It was finally nice to not have Jeremy breathing down my neck all the time.  
Cautiously, I stuck my had in the doorway to make sure I could get in and there wouldn't be any weird witchy juju all over the place. I smirked to myself as I walked in with ease.

"Yep, everybody's dead." I said with a little too much glee.

"We should pack up all the grimores, they spent years collecting them. I wanna make sure there safe."

"You know we could just get another match and cremate him…"

"Don't be disrespectful," Bonnie said surprisingly gently. "Not to him." I raised an eyebrow. Since when did Bonnie defend anyone who tried to hurt her best friend?

"Fine. Ill burry him." Though I knew Bonnie hated me, there was something in her eyes that read a different emotion then loathing. She seemed sincere. Almost thankful that I had agreed with her without putting up a fight.

To be completely honest there was something about the Bonnie who could keep up and could hold her own that was alluring. Sexy. Her blood smelt pretty amazing too, but that was just an added bonus.

* * *

"Do you guys believe what Isobel said about the word getting out about the doppelganger?"

"Look I don't believe a word that she says but it would be stupid of us to ignore the warning." Elena smiled at Stefan cutely and I had to look away to roll my eyes. She looks at him like he's a saint. God its not like he's the only one attempting to save her life here.

"You know you should just stay here," _naked, in my bed. _"Its better for us to keep an eye on you." I smirked at the mere thought of Elena having a sleep over without Stefan around.

"What? In the house that any vampire can enter no! Her house is safer."

"Then we'll stay there." _Actually yeah, I sort of like that idea better…_

"So is that the plan? Neither of you let me out of your sight again?" Stefan and I both looked at each other and shrugged. Not that she knows it, but Stefan and I have that silent pact anyways. Now it would just be less stalker-ish.

"Lemme know when you come up with a better one." I said smugly. She really had to get off our asses about protecting her. Whether anyone liked it or not, whether anyone said it or not, we would all die for her.

Elena sighed finally defeated. "Fine then one of you bodyguards is gonna have to take me to the Lockwood Luncheon." _Wow, total déjà vu there._

"That would be me." Stefan smiled. I had to choke back another eye roll.

"Not me. I have witch stuff to attend to with Bonnie." I snuck a glance at Stefan who eyed me suspiciously. I wasn't necessarily excited, but spending alone time with the hot ass Bennett witch was not as much of a chore as it used to be.

"Does that mean you're taking her to the-" I cut her off with a stare. Stefan and I both heard Katherine walk in, and she was the last person anyone wanted involved in this mess.

"Don't get quiet on my account." Katherine said, strutting down the library stairs as if it was a runway. With her around it was getting harder and harder to keep secrets. "If you have a plan to encombat the impending vampire doom, please do tell." No one said a word. "Seriously. What is the plan to get out of this mess hm? I delivered you a werewolf a moonstone and a dagger and so far all you have is the moonstone. Or so you tell me."

"No we have it." I said cheekily, just rubbing it in her face. God I loved having the upper hand against her. It was so...comforting. She had the upper hand on us all these years, it was nice to finally have the rolls switched.

"Where is it?"

"Its in a very safe place."

"I've been honest with you. Time to return the favor."

"I'm gonna be honest with you. Don't mistake the fact that we haven't set you on fire in your sleep – for trust."

"Fine." The bitch turned on her heals and strutted out of the room, seemingly annoyed which made the day suddenly so much better. Elena, Stefan and I all looked at each other. We knew that there was no way we would ever let Katherine in on any of our plans. Ever. That was one thing we all could agree on.

* * *

The witch mansion was even creepier then I remembered. The last time I was here was with Bonnie's ancestor, and now I'm here with Bonnie. Ironic. Maybe just to rub it in Emily's face ill deflower her decedent upstairs. I'm trying to save the girl I love now just like I was then. The only difference is Elena isn't a totally sociopathic skank.

There was something about the mansion that was off. The second we all entered the place became bone chillingly cold. Everything was quiet, but I felt like we weren't alone. I flared my nostrils and took a wif of the house. No other humans besides Bonnie and Jeremy…

I looked out the back window at the old graveyard and smirked. We were in the right place. It was all too familiar. The ash covered fields and the keep witch spirits. It was 1864 all over again.

Jeremy was scared. I could feel it. He felt uneasy and nervous. His heart was beating erratically, but Bonnie on the other hand was surprisingly calm. The house that the witches built didn't seem to bother her all that much. She had balls. I took a step into the light when I froze. Literally I couldn't feel anything and I couldn't move.

I looked at the witch and raised my eyebrows. "Whatever witchy prank your playing…its not funny."

"I'm not doing anything."

"I can't move!" Suddenly the house went from bone chillingly cold to hot. Really hot. Like, Put-your-hand-on-a-burner-and-leave-it-there-for-five-minutes hot. I looked down at my hand and at my ring. My skin was burning. As if the ring was completely shot.

I could feel my flesh peeling off and turning into ache. I looked at Bonnie pleadingly. "Do something!" I whispered before I let out a blood-curdling scream. The sun was just warming me up, in a minute; I could be completely on fire if Bonnie didn't do anything.

I thought my body was going to give into the sun, until I finally fell forward and my skin cool and heal. I looked at Bonnie who had a glimmer of pride on her lips.

"I don't think the witches like you being here."

"I'm gonna go…wait outside." I stole a quick glance at Bonnie before exiting. I looked at her with as much compassion as I could muster for the moment, and I hoped she got the message because I wasn't going to say anything out loud.

She was one hell of a pain in the ass, but the little spitfire attitude she had…was hot. And though I knew I would never actually feel anything for her, there was something about her that attracted me. Maybe if I have time to, ill get her into bed. Purely just to…piss off Emily.

* * *

Why did they let Elena go? They easily could have taken her to Klaus, grabbed a werewolf and gotten all this over with…but no. They had to throw us another curveball.

I stood by the stairs, listening in on Elena and Stefan's heart to heart about Isobel. I really couldn't comprehend why anyone would be upset about losing her. She was like another Katherine, but as far as Elena was concerned worse. She was her own flesh and blood and she didn't give two shits about whether Elena got hurt or not. She was manipulative and untrustworthy. She ruined Alarics life and Elena's. And the worst part about it? It was my fault. It was all my fault.

I let out an exasperated sigh. I wasn't about to go down the self pity road right now. Me and Stefan had work to do, and if I ever wanted to make up for all the shit I've caused, keeping Elena safe would be the only way.

"He knows that we're not gonna turn you into a vampire, he knows that you have us keeping you safe…"

"He knows I'm not gonna run…"

"Which is why we're gonna take some precautions. Cause we got played." I looked at Stefan and Elena, who were looking at each other. "All of us." Though I knew it was the right thing to do, I hesitantly dropped the papers in front of Elena.

"What's this?"

"The deed to our house." Stefan said. "In Zach's name and as soon as you sign it, it'll be in your name."

"You're giving me your house?" Elena looked at me, and I smirked. This was the smartest thing to do for her and yet she still didn't understand the lengths we would go through to keep her safe.

"Isobel had the right idea with the safe house. You'll just stay here till it's all over. That way you can control who gets invited in and who doesn't." Elena was about to protest when I cut her off.

"Although ill be super pissed if you lock me out." I smiled a little, Elena didn't. Jeez, even after everything no one enjoys any humor around here.

Before anything else could go wrong, a sharp gasp struck the air and we all turned around. There lay John Gilbert, alive once again. Unfortunatly. I smarled and ran to him as fast as I could. I threw his bitch ass against the wall and cut off his air supply.

"I swear!" He managed to breath out. "I had no idea what they were gonna do!" He looked at Elena with pleading eyes. I prayed she wouldn't buy it. "I swear."

"Damon let him go."

I looked back at Elena in shock. Was she really gonna let him get away with this that easily? He had been lying to us the entire year and she still was gonna show him pity? _You gotta be kidding me._

* * *

When Stefan and I let Elena and her ass of a father talk alone, we got a chance to review the day. Stefan noted that Katherine had no idea that Bonnie had her powers back, and I noted how Isobel didn't know a thing about what Bonnie and Jeremy did today. Which meant that Klaus was in the dark. Everything he thinks he knows will all be thrown off when Bonnie comes into the picture.

We both smirked and touched glasses in victory. One thing had gone right today. One thing we could check off the list. _One thing._

Bonnie was our secret weapon. No one knew what she was capable of. Even I shuttered at the thought of all the ways she could kill me now. But she could do a lot of other stuff with that power I would love to help her with…

But the main point was, for now, we had the upper hand. And with Elena in danger, Stefan and I needed to keep it that way. Too bad thats so much easier said then done.

* * *

**A loooooong time to write, but only seconds to review please :)**


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